LAHORE: Designed very much-like the glitzy and financially lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) and similar other tournaments being played around the world, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) also stands haunted by match-fixing allegations after just one year into the business.
The Pakistan Cricket Board Friday evening suspended international batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif and made them fly back home while an inquiry is currently under way about their allegedly shady “connections” with a suspicious man inside the hotel lobby in Dubai.
Match-fixing controversies in cash-rich Indian Premier League:
On May 14, 2012, an Indian news channel “India TV” had aired a sting operation which accused five players involved in spot-fixing.
Reacting to the news, Indian Premier League president Rajiv Shukla had immediately suspended the five uncapped players including the likes of Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra, Amit Yadav, Shalabh Srivastava and Abhinav Bali.
One of these above-named players, Mohnish Mishra was caught on tape saying that franchisees paid them black money and that he had received Indian Rs15 million (US$220,000) from the latter, among which Indian Rs12 million ($180,000) was black money.
(Reference: The May 15, 2012 report of NDTV).
In May 2013, three Rajasthan Royals players - Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - were arrested by Delhi Police on charges of spot-fixing.
On May 24, 2013, Gurunath Meiyappan, a top official of the Chennai Super Kings franchise and son-in-law of BCCI’s ex-president Srinivasan was arrested in Mumbai by Mumbai Crime Branch in connection with illegal betting.
Consequently, on March 25, 2014, the Supreme Court of India had told Srinivasan to step down from his position on his own as BCCI president to ensure a fair investigation, else it would pass verdict asking him to step down.
Match-fixing controversies in South African Premier League and other domestic cricket fixtures:
Four South African cricketers, including former test wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, were banned for between seven and 12 years for attempting to fix matches, Cricket South Africa had announced in August 2016.
On August 8, 2016, the Reuters had reported: Tsolekile received a 12-year ban for “contriving to fix a match or matches” in the 2015 Twenty20 domestic competition, the board said. Pumelela Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Jean Symes were also banned after accepting money from ex-international Goolam Bodi, previously banned for 20 years, to manipulate matches”.
On December 21, 2016, Alviro Petersen, the former South Africa opener, had been banned for two years by Cricket South Africa after admitting to 13 breaches of the anti-corruption code in relation to the 2015-16 domestic T/20 match-fixing scandal.
Match-fixing controversies in Bangladesh Premier League:
In November 2016, a probe was launched into allegations by a player that he was asked to fix matches during the latest scandal-hit Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
The Times of India had stated: The Bangladesh Cricket Board said it would investigate after Rangpur Riders player Jupiter Ghosh alleged that team manager Sanuar Hossain had told him to fix match results just before the start of the tournament earlier this month.
The Rangpur Riders had expelled Ghosh on disciplinary grounds after he had gone public with the allegations.
The Times of India had further reported: The Bangladesh Premier League has been blighted by fixing rows ever since it began in 2012. The tournament was suspended for a season in 2014 following revelations that former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and four others including New Zealand’s Lou Vincent were involved in fixing matches. Ashraful was banned for eight years after he tearfully confessed on national television, but was allowed to return to domestic cricket earlier this year. The BCB’s anti-corruption officials have also thrown out at least four suspected bookmakers during the previous editions in an effort to ensure the tournament is corruption-free.
Research shows that the 28-year-old Ashraful was allegedly paid about one million taka (USD 12,800) to lose the match.
However, according to local media, the cheque he received bounced for insufficient funds.
Former Bangladesh spinner Shariful Haque was earlier banned in September 2012 after an inquiry found him guilty of spot-fixing during the first edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.
A Pakistani national was arrested in separate spot-fixing charges in 2012. In March 2013, the BCB handed down a 10-year ban to umpire Nadir Shah after a sting operation by an Indian TV channel found him apparently willing to fix matches for cash.
Three arrested in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for suspicious activities:
In July 2014, as the “Trinidad Express” had reported, three individuals were arrested for suspicious behaviour at Limacol Caribbean Premier League games over the course of the tournament.
This was announced by the CPL in a media statement which said the arrests came as a result of ongoing monitoring by representatives of the CPL and the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the International Cricket Council.
However, no player or official was found guilty.
West Indian player suspended in Caribbean Premier League for breaching ICC’s player contract:
Franchise Trinbago Knight Riders’ quest for their second successive Caribbean Premier League triumph was handed an unwanted distraction with reports confirming that the team’s left-handed opening batsman and part-time wicketkeeper William Perkins was suspended with immediate effect from the CPL after he was found guilty of handing over his players’ access pass to a third party – a serious breach of the ICC’s player contract.
Match-fixing dangers lurk over Australian Big Bash too:
In December 2016, “Fox Sports” had reported that Australian cricketers were on the verge of making it to national squads and the Big Bash League were being targeted by bookmakers via social media.
The “Fox Sports” had maintained: “Cricket Australia head of integrity Iain Roy confirmed that foreign bookies are targeting players via tools such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as they seek information on squads and playing conditions. Rising young stars of the game are the main target, Roy revealed, but he would not elaborate on how many players had been approached.
Roy said cricketers in all forms of the game had been briefed not to reply to suspicious online approaches and report the behaviour to the game’s governing body. Former Australian Test captain Mark Taylor believes athletes are more vulnerable than ever to the approaches of bookies because of social media.
In December 2016, the Melbourne edition of the “Herald Sun” had said: The head of Cricket Australia’s integrity unit believes a corruption scandal is “imminent’’ in the Big Bash League as illegal foreign bookmakers try to infiltrate our summer sport. Cricket Australia senior legal counsel Iain Roy said corruption of Twenty20 leagues in South Africa, India, Bangladesh and the Caribbean meant it was a matter of time before it reached Australia. The pre-emptive strike comes after player agent Justin McMillan was suspended for six months for placing a $50 bet on an English T20 match in breach of strict rules. Cricket Australia has conducted a gambling audit of almost 750 staff, players and officials and trawled the accounts of betting agencies.
The court has adjourned further hearing of the case till September 13
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Spokesperson added that Bajwa was issued show-cause notice on July 30 through PIA’s finance manager
