Was India Pakistan Semis WC 2011 fixed ??

No doubt the lackadaisical performances at England and Australia have saddened the ardent fan beyond a measure – also there is no limit up to which a match would remain open to debate !  - now-a-days whether Indians do well or badly, it is open to criticism and the Damocles sword of match fixing remains open for ever – sad because that the ardent fan cannot say it is unreal or is only a figment of imagination – seeds of doubts linger always.

Match fixing are no longer mere allegations – in the past few months,  jail sentences have been meted out to three Pakistan players - Salman Butt, captain at the time, and two fast bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif; Meryvn Westfield has become the first player to receive a custodial sentence for fixing in English county cricket; and, in the High Court in London, Chris Cairns' libel action against the former IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, has brought allegations about corruption in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League into focus.  Now there is another – more sensational one at that -  with an Indian bookmaker telling London-based newspaper The Sunday Times that last year’s World Cup semi-final match between India and Pakistan was tainted. The fixers claimed to have recruited players from several countries using a Bollywood actress as a honeytrap. The newspaper’s investigation has also suggested that bookmakers targeted English county games taking advantage of the lack of monitoring in such contests, offering thousands of pounds to the players — about 44,000 pounds to batsmen for slow scoring, 50,000 pounds to bowlers for conceding runs and 750,000 pounds to a player or official who could guarantee a match outcome.   As usual the International Cricket Council (ICC) was evasive in stating that it  will be handled by the Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ASCU) – how can something of this sort be an entirely a matter away from the realms of ICC, they only know.

It was the match that brought he whole Nation to a stand still – roads were empty as people sat before the TV excitedly to watch the India Pakistan Match – ODI 3147 – the 2^nd Semi final of World Cup 2011 at Mohali, Chandigarh on 30^th Mar 2011 – a day night match at that.  The scoreline brought cheers to Indian fans as India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in the semi-final,  Sachin Tendulkar,  top-scored with 85.  It can happen in match, but does not happen regularly, Sachin was  dropped as many as four times during the innings.  It certainly was not the most fluent innings as Sachin often plays, still good enough to get them the much hyped victory – the drops by Misbah, Younis, Kamran and Umar Akmal are now being put under the scanner as to whether they were mere drops or were they fixed ??   A Delhi bookmaker told the newspaper that county cricket “is a good market” as it involves “low-profile matches and nobody monitors them. That’s why good money can be made there without any hassle”.

Younis - Was that only a miss ?  photo : www.cricinfo.com

 “Betting on cricket in the legal and illegal markets continues to grow rapidly and, with many, many millions of dollars being bet on every match, the threat of (those) seeking to influence the game has not gone away,” an ICC spokesperson said.  ICC  is all set to launch an inquiry into  the report of the Sunday Times, which claimed that Indian bookmakers are fixing the results of England county games and international fixtures.

So another time, for  those who always are cynical of the popularity to keep talking more !!

If you would recall, Sachin was ruled out LBW by Umpire Ian Gould in the 11^th over of Saeed Ahmal (he was 23 at that time and went on to make 85) – after deliberation, Sachin asked for a referral –the replays suggested that the ball pitching outside the line of off stump, turned to hit his front pad in front of middle.  Hawk eye suggested that it would have missed the leg stump and so, the decision was over turned. Ajmal, however claimed that he had bowled an arm ball that went straight – so who was right ?   However, this was more of a technical nature and of course allegation of fixing cannot enter into this

Regards – S. Sampathkumar.