Black money goes into betting (26 December 1998)

26 December 1998

Black money goes into betting

The Christchurch Press

Cricket writer Geoff Longley looks at what goes on behind the scenes with overseas bookmakers betting on cricket matches.

Illegal betting on cricket matches is such a big business on the sub-continent that sums approaching 100 million rupees ($US500,000) can be riding on a high profile India-Pakistan game.

Large amounts of "black money" float around the Indian economy, which cannot be spent legally and that currency is often poured into bookmakers in places like Bombay, New Delhi, Karachi, and the United Arab Emirates.

As cricket is such a consuming passion there, especially for Indians, large sums are bet on matches, usually involving the host nation in various forms, including the teams and individuals scores, the toss, wicket falls, weather interruptions, etc.

As fortunes are involved, bookmakers are bound to be keen to have as much knowledge about the game as possible in order to frame the odds in their favour. This has already taken the shape of contacting players for weather, pitch, and team compositions, as Australians Mark Waugh and Shane Warne have admitted to. Whether it has gone further to the taking of bribes and rigging results is what the judicial inquiry in Pakistan is trying to prove.

In India a one-man inquiry was held but after six months investigation no concrete evidence was found to substantiate allegations that betting on games was rife. This was sparked by a claim from former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif that several Indian players had called him asking for information on a South Africa-Pakistan series.

Journalists on the sub-continent are not immune from approaches and one prominent Indian cricket writer was sacked after allegedly supplying information to illegal sources.

The expansion of the game through the cable television network and proliferation of the one-day game in the sub-continent during the 1990s has led to a similar growth in betting by all accounts.

The International Cricket Council, whose president is an Indian, Jamoghan Dalmiya, is to investigate the issue at its next executive meeting in Christchurch next month.

Dalmiya says he wants to stamp out the practice, but unless he is able to get to the source of the problem he may have limited success with the financial carrots on offer.

The best the ICC can probably do is impose suspensions or life bans on any players found proven of match-fixing.

By threatening stiff penalties it should discourage players from becoming involved. But will the real truth come out, as claim and counter-claim go on in Pakistan? We doubt it.

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)