‘Fixing’ allegation, should reside in cricket book of jokes

An allegation by a Western journalist, Ed Hawkins. titled ‘BOOKIE GAMBLER FIXER SPY’ that the Test in Cardiff last year between Sri Lanka and England was fixed, should earn the top spot in cricket’s book of jokes.

I was in Cardiff covering this Test for the ‘Daily News’ and the ‘Sunday Observer’ and can vouch for the fact that the game was played clean and that the better side England won the Test purely by their amazing second innings bowling effort.

True that it rained on the fifth day of the morning session and after Sri Lanka’s strong batting effort in the first innings, a draw seemed the likely result.

But no one present on the SWALEC STADIUM or the media men in Cardiff, could believe the timid batting collapse by the Sri Lankans to hand England an unlikely victory being bowled out for just 82 in 24.4 overs.

Vicious off spin

The Lankan batsmen ran into some clever and vicious off spinning by Graeme Swann on a drying wicket and that caused the dramatic batting collapse that stunned all. It was a performance that was clean as a whistle and would have blown away the best of batsmen, as it did.

To allege that, that Test was fixed must be the height of the writer’s imagination. No one will and should buy that nor should they waste their time to buy the book as well.

The attempt to tempt the readers to buy that book, which from indications seem destined to gather dust in the shop shelves , will be a waste of money.Its better to buy a book of fiction.

Attempting to sell a book by making spurious allegations is a poor reflection on the writer. Other than for making allegations there is not a hint to suggest how the ‘fixing’ was done and who the culprits are or who were involved.The writer has already got the publicity that he was looking for in his feeble attempt to sell the book and he must be laughing at the ‘doosra’ he bowled to hoodwink the buyers of his book. He sure needs to be given another award for making a story out of nothing.

Similar incident

There was a similar incident during a World Cup match, and if my memory serves me right, it was in the Caribbean in 2007 and Sri Lanka was involved. It is customary for the Anti Corruption Unit to ask for the video after the game. They do this as a matter of courtesy after every game. A journalist got to know that the video of the Sri Lanka game had been asked by the Corruption Unit and went to town saying that, that game had been fixed.

He made a story out of nothing and the Sri Lankan and the opposing team was made to look suspicious with every one accusing the teams of fixing that game. Ultimately it turned out to be a damp squib.

As has always been the case it was normal for the Anti Corruption Unit to ask for the video. Ultimately that journalist who thought he had unearthed a ‘scoop’ had egg on his face.

So it can be safely said that the allegation that the ‘Cardiff Test was ‘fixed’ will suffer the same fate. The writer’s only evidence is that he says that a bookie who he vaguely names a ‘Vinay’ told him that the match between England and Sri Lanka was fixed.

Pakistan in India

From indications all seems set for Pakistan and India to resume their cricketing ties when Pakistan will tour India for five one-day internationals and two twenty20 games in December/January.

There have been threats by the right-wing Shiv Sena and Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanding India to say no to the resuming of cricket ties with Pakstan until Pakistan brings to justice the master-minds behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that left 168 people dead.

It is hoped that India authorities will provide the necessary security for the protection of the Pakistan cricket team so that they will be free to show their prowess in the game.

Rarely met

India and Pakistan have rarely met mid pitch in a Test or one-day series for quite some time now. They have played each other only in either the World Cup 50- over games or in the World Cup Twenty20.

The countries cannot remain isolated for ever. It I said that sport is the great leveler and the two Cricket Boards must not remain dormant, but always probe to get sporting ties between the two great cricketing countries on the field.

One of the best left arm seam bowlers that the cricket world has seen and now turned commentator Wasim Akram, commenting on the proposed tour is confident that the tour will proceed without any hassle.Akram further urges the two sides to use the threat by Hindu radicals as motivation. ’I can’t wait for this tour to happen. I am confident that the Indian Government will make this tour happy and safe one for our team because the whole world is waiting for this and want it to be series reviving one’.

Toured despite threats

Wasim further states: We toured India despite threats from Shiv Sena in 1999 with activists digging up the Delhi stadium forcing officials to move the First Test to Chennai. ‘We had full confidence in Indian security and that tour came off very well and I am sure this time too India will make sure it goes untroubled’. If this tour materializes it will be after a break of five years.

One thing is certain and that is that India being a cricket mad country, there will be full houses in each game and the big Indian stadiums may not be enough to accommodate the cricket mad fans. For the sake of the cricketers and the game it is a must that this long awaited tour materializes and the success of it will promote other sporting ties between the two nations.

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