Too little too late?

If Hollywood were considering a remake of Sex, Lies and Videotape, there is some disturbing new material that would offer a perfect opportunity to write a sequel, but then they would have to be prepared to do some filming in the Asian subcontinent and interview a few bookmakers on cricket tests.

News of the World broke the news that broke the hearts of millions of cricket fans when it revealed a transcript of an interview with Mazhar Majeed, in which the 35-year-old man claimed he had successfully bribed the Pakistani fast bowlers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir to deliver three no-balls as part of a spot-fixing bribe. He also claimed he had the full support and cooperation of the captain of the test team, Salman Butt.

Veena Malik, a former girlfriend of Asif, claimed he is a serial fixer and that she could prove that he is involved with Indian bookies.

Butt, Asif and Amir claimed their innocence. They opted not to play in the One Day International leg against England. They were later suspended by the International Cricket Council pending an investigation into their alleged involvement with bookmakers.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan government has vowed to investigate the assets of past and present cricketers. The leading Urdu-language daily newspaper, Jang, reported  that the Federal Bureau of Revenue has instructed all its regional officers to collect details of bank accounts, assets and even the number of cars of players who have represented Pakistan over the last five years. (Source: SuperSport)

More worms from the can

News of the World rocked the cricket world again with another revelation on Sunday, as the opening batsman Yasir Hameed claimed that bent teammates were fixing almost every match.

According to Hameed, Pakistan threw a match against the West Indies at the Rose Bowl in 2004. They also pocketed more than R20 million (1,8 million pounds) for fixing the test match against Australia in Sydney in 2010.

The revelations by Hameed were videotaped, but he later made an astonishing about-turn and dismissed the claims, saying he was merely reiterating what he read in the newspapers.

The strong stance by the International Cricket Council as well as the readiness of  the Pakistani government to intervene should be welcomed.

Yet more is needed from the International Cricket Council. The Australian Shane Watson, who claimed he was approached by arguably the same bookmaker who approached the Pakistani players, has criticised the governing body, saying the anti-corruption unit does not really work.

He also asked why the International Cricket Council has made very little progress since 2009 in investigating claims by players that they were approached by the bookmakers.

Jacques Faul, acting chief executive officer of the Highveld Lions franchise, has urged the International Cricket Council to strengthen their anti-corruption unit by doubling the staff. He says the unit needs more feet on the ground.

Being more proactive

But perhaps the governing body should also be more proactive. Instead of complaining that they do not possess the capacity to arrest illegal bookmakers or that they cannot work underground, they could liaise with governments forming part of the elite in world cricket.

They should revert to the tactics employed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, who have worked tirelessly in cooperation with governments all over the world to stamp out the use of illegal substances. By doing that, WADA has been given greater powers to investigate and even prosecute athletes internationally.

The anti-corruption unit cannot be a Lone Ranger in stamping out illegal bookmakers, but a strong  public relations and marketing exercise among the governments of the cricketing nations would markedly increase its clout and powers.

The startling revelations, among the worst and most disturbing since Hansiegate in 2000, should spark the International Cricket Council into life.

What is worrying  is the gulf between money paid by illegal bookmakers to bet on one big match in Asia – a sum of R7,5 billion per game is mentioned – and the money paid to players of the different nations. For example, Australia and England pay their players about R4,5 million a year, while South African players receive close to R1,2 million .

When bonuses are added to the mix, most of the senior SA players receive close to R10 million a year.

But cricketers in Pakistan (R240 000 a year) and Bangladesh (close to R150 000) are paid relatively very little which makes them  vulnerable to the approaches by bookmakers.

So if they do not have players’ associations fighting for their claims to bigger bonuses – plus the fact that young players have little education on the dangers posed by bookmakers --  the pattern of match-fixing will continue, which will cast a massive shadow over the long-term future of especially test cricket.

Test cricket in trouble

Sport is about heroes and if the heroes are in fact crooks who cannot be taken seriously cricket and especially test cricket is in dire straits. The popularity of test cricket has plummeted in the past five years, especially with the arrival of the T20-format..

But now the traditional format is under even greater pressure, simply because the outcome of two of the last  20 tests -- at Lord’s in the fourth test against England, and in Sydney between Pakistan and Australia - seem to have been fixed.

The start of the Airtel Champions League T20 in South Africa on Friday at the Wanderers in a competition featuring 10 teams, including the Chevrolet Warriors and the bizhub Highveld Lions, should give a clear indication to the International Cricket Council of the popularity of the game.

If spectators fail to turn up at the Wanderers, St. George’s Park, Kingsmead and SuperSport Park, the International Cricket Council should be afraid. Very, very afraid!