Pakistan betting scandal only a symptom of cricket’s wider disease

One of the things that makes sport such a compelling spectacle is the knowledge that you are watching teams or individuals striving to produce the best possible performance they can and defeat their opponents.

Or so we are led to believe.

The exposure of the doping culture which is prevalent in many sports has done much to undermine fans’ belief in their idols, but at least it can be rationalised that they are still trying to win, albeit by illegal means. The same goes for gamesmanship or plain and simple cheating which we have increasingly come to accept as commonplace.

But what about when individuals commit deliberate acts which diminish their team’s or their own performance: the jockey who eases up on his ride, the striker who intentionally misses the target, or the bowler who knowingly over-steps the crease to deliver a no-ball?

Even if the transgression is an apparently minor one, what effect does this have on the way we view sport?

That is the question at the heart of the furore which has engulfed a Pakistan cricket team which hardly has a gleaming record in such matters.

The allegations

Mohammad Asif

Mohammad Amir

Four Pakistan players – captain Salman Butt, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – were placed under investigation for spot-fixing events in competitive matches. (Akmal has now been dropped from the police investigation.)

Allegations in the News of the World centre on three no-balls delivered during England‘s innings at Lord’s – two by Amir, one by Asif – which are said to have been ‘arranged’ by cricket agent Mazhar Majeed in exchange for £150k. Majeed has since been released by the police on bail, without being charged.

Video footage of the three incidents, particularly in the case of the two Amir deliveries, appears damning. The bowler clearly over-steps by a full boot-length on each occasion, a huge margin of error for a professional bowler.

In addition, the Pakistan team is already under investigation for suspicious incidents in matches on their winter tour of Australia, in which they lost all three Tests and all five one-day internationals.

Butt’s response to the latest scandal fell some way short of an outright denial:

These are just allegations. Anybody can say things about you, that does not make them true. They include quite a few people, they are ongoing and we will see what happens.

The players were booed by their own supporters at Lord’s on Sunday, and some threw tomatoes at the team coach to register their disappointment and disgust at the front-page revelations that nobody associated with the game ever wanted to see again.

Pakistan’s dubious history

On the face of it, being whitewashed in Australia is not in itself a reason for automatic suspicion – England lost the last Ashes series down under 5-0 – but eyebrows were certainly raised during the series at certain idiosyncratic incidents.

Wicketkeeper Akmal dropped four catches in the second Test at Sydney, a match which Australia won by just 36 runs. And Amir dropped a simple catch off Australian captain Ricky Ponting during the third Test in Tasmania.

Of course, neither of these events is proof of any wrongdoing – Amir is not the first player to spill a straightforward catch, and Akmal is hardly the best gloves-man ever (he has kept wicket poorly this summer too). It is important not to read meaning into events which may have none, as England captain Andrew Strauss said on Sunday:

With these sorts of allegations, you start questioning things you shouldn’t be questioning.

Nonetheless, when both events at Lord’s and other dubious chapters in Pakistan’s cricketing history are taken into consideration, the weight of circumstantial evidence would trouble even the broadest of shoulders.

Asif was implicated for ball-tampering in the infamous 2006 Oval Test (which Pakistan forfeited in protest), and subsequently served a one-year ban for using the prohibited drug nandrolone.

A previous major investigation into match-fixing, conducted by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum at the instigation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 1998, led to captain Salim Malik and bowler Ata-ur-Rehman being banned for life. (The bans were subsequently rescinded.) Serious but unsubstantiated concerns were also aired over senior players such as Wasim Akram and current England bowling coach Musthaq Ahmed.

Qayyum told The Times:

The current situation is very unfortunate. It is very shocking. Is it surprising? No.

Not just Pakistan

While Pakistan certainly have the most notorious reputation when it comes to match or spot-fixing, they are by no means the only ones to have been involved in cricketing corruption.

South Africa captain Hansie Cronje is perhaps the best-known such case. He was dealt a life ban in 2000 after an investigation following a recorded phone call with Sanjay Chawla, a representative of an Indian betting syndicate.It transpired Cronje had accepted several payments over a period of four years to influence the result of matches, and had also offered teammates bribes to deliberately under-perform. India captain Mohammed Azharuddin and batsman Ajay Sharma also received permanent bans as a result of the investigation.

At least three players – including Australia’s Brad Haddin – are known to have reported being approached by individuals trying to set up spot-fixes during last year’s Twenty20 World Cup.

And Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has come forward today to reveal that he was invited for a drink by a member of a betting syndicate during last summer’s Ashes series:

It happened a couple of times in London and I just went and told [team manager] Steve Bernard. It was an Indian fan, or that’s what I thought it was. I didn’t think too much more of it until I found out a bit more information that he was actually one of the illegal bookmakers that was trying to get involved.

Nor is such activity restricted to international cricket. Currently two Essex players – one of them Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria – are under investigation for suspected offences similar to those alleged at Lord’s. Other county players are also known to have been approached by Indian ‘businessmen’.

How does this happen?

There are a number of factors which mean that cricket – and Pakistan in particular – is particularly susceptible to betting corruption.

Firstly, cricket’s demographics and structure both encourage spot-betting on a huge variety of micro-events which do not directly influence the match result. The sport’s immense popularity in India and Pakistan, coupled with the huge (and illegal) unregulated gambling industry in India, means there is big money to be made and lost on cricket betting. From the runs scored by a batsman or conceded by a bowler (either in total or over a particular timeframe) to the number of lbw’s, dropped catches, no-balls or wides, if you can place money on it, there is someone who will offer you a price on it.

Pakistan’s cricketers are also more susceptible than most.

From an economic standpoint, the team’s centrally-contracted players are only paid around £25k pa – marginally more than the minimum wage for a senior county cricketer – which compares poorly with up to £400k for England’s team. Add in personal endorsements and the riches on offer in the IPL (which Pakistan players cannot participate in) and the sport’s superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar can easily earn in excess of £5m in one year. The temptation to accept a payment from a bookie is therefore a compelling one. (This is why county cricket is also a common target for corruption, with the added benefit of having a lower and less-scrutinised profile than international matches.)

It should also not be forgotten that many of the nation’s cricketers are from under-privileged backgrounds, and a financial inducement of even a few thousand dollars can make an enormous difference for the players and their families. Mohammad Amir is a prime example, the youngest of seven children from an impoverished family, who grew up playing ‘tape cricket’ (a common form of the game using a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape).

In addition, the international team is effectively homeless and nomadic since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March of last year, increasing the players’ vulnerability and the opportunity for external contact. And there is also the feeling that match-fixing is almost an accepted part of the country’s cricketing culture, with the rewards far outweighing the perceived risks.

Speaking about Amir, former captain Ramiz Raja said:

I blame the people who got an innocent 18-year old thinking in a devious manner. It is that and the unhealthy atmosphere around the team. I blame the leadership, by which I mean management, the atmosphere in the dressing room, the entire cricket culture back home. They all think they can get away with it.

The consequences

The various authorities are now scrambling to complete investigations into the Lord’s affair, and also the winter tour of Australia.

A PCB enquiry is ongoing, with Pakistan’s Federal Sports Minister Ijaz Jakhrani calling its outcome “a matter of honour and dignity”. The ICC has also promised it will complete an initial investigation before Pakistan’s next match against England (a Twenty20 game) on Sunday, although it is unclear exactly how rigorous this can be.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat told BBC Radio 5 Live:

The reputation of the game has been tarnished and it is something we must make right. There is no question that people’s confidence will have been swayed. We’re busy with the Metropolitan Police and hope, before the weekend arrives, we can get to some sort of a conclusion.

We are working hard, but it’s important to remember that an individual is innocent until proven guilty. At the moment, it is appropriate that the game continues. We shouldn’t let everyone suffer because of a couple of individuals that might have got caught up in corrupt practices.

The vast majority of players are not guilty of any such behaviour. We shouldn’t let a couple of individuals, a few players, bring the entire game to a standstill.

Responses from the cricketing community – players, media and fans alike – have ranged from outrage (many) to sympathy (a few).

Strauss is one of those who has come down quite clearly on the side of making an example of any wrongdoers:

If someone is found categorically guilty, the only way for me is for you to not be able to play international cricket again.

Former captain Michael Vaughan agreed:

The game has to be cleaned up. This is the chance to change the game forever and stamp this kind of thing out.

Others from outside the English game, including former Pakistan captain-turned-politican Imran Khan agree:

If these allegations are true then there should be exemplary punishment. If the players are found guilty they should be shunted out of the team [and] replaced by others.

Certainly, past precedent would suggest that life bans are likely for any players found guilty.

Former England captain Mike Atherton, now The Times’ cricket correspondent, points to the case of the 18-year old Amir and the opportunity this presents to purge Pakistan’s cricket culture of its disease of corruption:

Amir’s rehabilitation should be at the heart of the cleansing of Pakistan cricket. The brilliant young bowler is not the cause of the problem but the most tragic consequence of it.

Regardless, it is vital now that any investigations and subsequent punishments do not shy away from meeting the issues head on. Writing on the BBC Sport website, cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew says:

The investigation, for the good of cricket, has to be thorough and absolute. The game cannot afford for this to be swept under the carpet and if that means Pakistan, when this tour comes to an end, must serve a temporary exile from international cricket then so be it.

In the meantime, the tour continues, although it is unclear whether Butt, Akmal, Amir and Asif will play again. Pakistan play Somerset on Thursday, and are still scheduled to play two Twenty20 matches and five one-day internationals against England.

The moral question

This story will run and run for at least the next several days, with our perspectives on it no doubt changing as new evidence is made public. But the fundamental question I posed at the beginning of this post remains: even if the transgression is an apparently minor one, what effect does this have on the way we view sport?

To say that the full extent of Pakistan’s alleged deception was to concede three inconsequential no-balls in a match England won by an innings and 225 runs is a facile and ignorant argument, not least because England were on the ropes at 102/7 before Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad staged their world record eighth wicket partnership. What if one of those no-balls, if bowled ‘properly’, had dismissed Trott or Broad early in their stand? What if it had struck the batsman’s head, unsettling him for a future wicket-taking delivery? What if the ball had reared up unexpectedly, planting a seed of doubt in the mind and geeing up the other bowlers? What if? What if? What if? No one delivery in a cricket match can be considered to be a wholly independent event, just as a single move in chess inevitably has repercussions on the rest of the game.

So much of sport is about winning (or losing) the battle in the mind that it is hard to believe that a player consciously committed to under-performing in one aspect of his game would not also be subconsciously affected at least slightly in others, and at the highest level it is these marginal differences that often make all the difference.

What was the cost to Pakistan of those three no-balls? Just three runs? I don’t think so.

There is also the question of whether the suspected players (or conceivably others) also committed other acts of falsification which remain undiscovered, a point raised by former England captain and Sky commentator Nasser Hussain in the Daily Mail:

I find it hard to believe that we’re just talking about a few no-balls. I’m furious with Pakistan for going down this road again. My hope is that, if the allegations are true, the authorities are strong.

The reality is that the breadth of corruption extends far beyond this match, the Pakistan team and the players under investigation. The News of the World‘s allegations only scratch the surface of a far bigger problem. But starting with the visible tip of the iceberg is as good a place to start as any.

I am indebted to The Times, and in particular correspondents Mike Atherton, Simon Barnes, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Ashling O’Connor and Matthew Syed, from whose reports the facts and quotes for much of this post have been drawn. Any errors in this article are strictly my own.

Related Articles

• Pakistan under pressure to suspend Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir (telegraph.co.uk)
• Pakistan cricket trio to meet team officials (guardian.co.uk)
• Pakistan Cricket Stars ‘Monitored For Months’ (news.sky.com)
• Cricket World Rocked By ‘Betting Scam’ Arrest (news.sky.com)
• Agent Released Over Cricket ‘Betting Scam’ (news.sky.com)
• Pakistan’s Sydney Test loss open to doubt, but new charges look clearer (guardian.co.uk)
• Mazhar Majeed released on bail (cricinfo.com)
• 3 more ‘cricket scam’ arrests (thesun.co.uk)

The week in numbers: w/e 29/8/10

Rubens Barrichello: 300 races and still going strong

300 – Rubens Barrichello competed in his 300th Formula 1 race at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, having entered his first in 1993. In that time, the 38-year old has won 11 times and set 14 pole positions. Yesterday, starting from seventh on the grid, he retired after an accident at the end of the first lap as Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won and took over the lead in the drivers’ championship.

3 – With 13 of 19 races completed, Lewis Hamilton (182 points) leads Mark Webber (179) in the drivers’ championship by just three points.

20 – French side Auxerre were drawn in the same Champions League group as Real Madrid, AC Milan and Ajax, who have won the European Cup/Champions League 20 times between them (respectively nine, seven and four).

2 – Aston Villa were knocked out in the final playoff round of the Europa League by Rapid Vienna, 4-3 on aggregate after losing their home leg 3-2. They were eliminated at the same stage by the same side last season too.

3 – Bournemouth were 3-0 up within 28 minutes at home to Notts County in their League 1 encounter on Saturday, and still 3-1 up in the 91st minute. The game finished 3-3.

54 – Years since Britain’s women’s basketball team last reached the European Championship finals, which will be held in Poland next year. After losing their opening qualifying game, they won their last five, clinching qualification with a 77-59 win over Germany on Thursday night.

1:41.01 – David Rudisha broke the 800 metres world record for the second time in eight days, clocking 1:41.01 in Rieti.

England vs Pakistan

Mohammad Amir: 50 Test wickets

50 – At 18 years and 136 days, Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir became the youngest bowler to reach 50 Test wickets during the first innings of the fourth and final Test at Lord’s on Friday. He finished with a return of 6-84. Sadly, he now finds himself a key player in the betting scandal which overshadowed the match, which England won yesterday to clinch a tarnished series 3-1.

0 – Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan were all dismissed for ducks, the first time ever that England‘s numbers four, five and six have been dismissed without scoring in an innings (and only the fifth time in Test history).

332 – Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad put on a world-record 332 runs for England’s eighth wicket. Trott finished with 184, Broad 169.

1,000 – Trott and Broad both passed 1,000 career runs during their innings. Trott reached the milestone in his 23rd Test innings, the same as Mike Atherton and Kevin Pietersen. (The record is 12, by Herbert Sutcliffe.)

Stuart Broad scored 169 to rescue England after a first innings collapse

1 – It was Broad’s maiden Test hundred, making him and his father Chris the first father and son to complete Test centuries for England. His score of 169 was also higher than any of his father’s six Test hundreds (his best was 162).

3 – Pakistan were bowled out for 74 in their first innings, their second-lowest ever total against England. Their three all-time lowest scores have come during this series (80 in the first Test, 72 in the second Test).

17 – Number of wickets that fell on Saturday: England’s last three first innings wickets, the whole of Pakistan’s first innings, and then the first four of their second as England enforced the follow-on.

404 – Trott was the highest run-scorer in the series, scoring 404 runs at an average of 67.33. His total was over 150 more than the next best batsman, Broad (250).

1 – Trott was the only one of England’s six specialist batsmen to average over 30 in the series (although both Broad and wicketkeeper Matt Prior also did). Lack of form and an alarming tendency for batting collapses remains a major concern ahead of the Ashes.

184 – Umar Akmal was Pakistan’s best batsman, with just 184 runs in the entire series – the exact number of runs scored by Trott in his single innings at Lord’s.

23 – James Anderson was England’s leading wicket-taker, with 23 – one more than Graeme Swann.

The Premier League week in numbers

11 – Although they won 2-1 at Blackburn, Arsenal have now conceded a goal in their last 11 away games in all competitions.

540 – Chelsea have now gone 540 minutes since they last conceded a Premier League goal.

18 – Wigan‘s win at Tottenham broke a run of 18 Premier League games without a win in London (four draws, 14 defeats) since winning at West Ham in December 2006.

Wayne Rooney scored his first goal since March

1,114 – Wayne Rooney‘s first-half penalty in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over West Ham ended a goal drought of 1,114 minutes for club and country extending back to March.

5 – Manchester United have now won their last five league games against West Ham, scoring 13 and conceding none.

1 – Central defender Roger Johnson scored his first goal for Birmingham in his 41st game for the club, but it was not enough to secure a win as they let slip a two-goal lead against Bolton in a 2-2 draw.

4 – Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen was sent off for the fourth time in his Premier League career.

9 – Liverpool have now beaten West Bromwich Albion in all nine of their Premier League meetings, scoring 25 and conceding none. Dating back to the old First Division, they have now won twelve straight league games against West Brom.

18 – Everton won 18 corners in their 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa, the most by one team in a Premier League match since Liverpool gained 19 against Stoke in September 2008.

(Some statistics courtesy of @OptaJoe, @optajim, @OptaJean and @StatManJon.)

Related Articles

• Trott & Broad tons rescue England (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Lewis Hamilton makes it a hat-trick at the rain-lashed, chaotic Belgian Grand Prix (mirror.co.uk)

The week in numbers: w/e 8/8/10

26 – Days between the World Cup final and the start of the Football League season, which kicked off with the Championship opener between Norwich and Watford on Friday evening. (Watford won 3-2.)

17 – All but five of the Championship’s 22 clubs have prior experience of playing in the Premier League.

3 – Scott Rendell has scored in his first league appearance in the last three seasons, for Peterborough, Torquay & now Wycombe.

Usan Bolt (image courtesy of José Goulão)

2 – Usain Bolt lost a 100 metres race for only the second time in his professional career after losing to Tyson Gay at Friday’s Diamond League meeting in Stockholm. Bolt’s only previous defeat came in the same stadium (to Asafa Powell) two years ago.

72 – Pakistan‘s first innings total in the second Test, their lowest score ever against England. It came less than a week after they set their previous low of 80 in the first Test.

54 – Pakistan’s number three batsman, Azhar Ali, spent a total of 54 minutes at the crease before being dismissed for a duck. It was the fifth-longest (in terms of time) run-less innings in Test history.

Graeme Swann

8 – Graeme Swann‘s second innings return of 6/60 (as at last night’s close) represents his best bowling performance in Tests, and is the eighth time he has taken at least five wickets in an innings in just his 22nd Test match.

180,000 – Weekly salary reportedly demanded by Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli in transfer negotiations with Manchester City. Balotelli is 19 and has played just 59 games for Inter.

600 – The New York Yankees‘ Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th career home run on Wednesday in a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the seventh player to do so in Major League Baseball history and, at 35 years and 8 days, the youngest to reach that landmark. It came on the three-year anniversary of his 500th home run.

15,133 – Total fines (in pounds) levied against the Dutch and Spanish Football Associations by FIFA for their players’ poor discipline in last month’s World Cup final. Spain received five yellow cards; Holland had eight players booked and defender John Heitinga was sent off.

10 – Fabio Capello‘s first post-World Cup England squad contained just 10 of the 23-man squad who played in South Africa.

18 – Tiger Woods ended with a career-worst total of 18-over par at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio. He finished 30 shots behind winner Hunter Mahan.

And finally, two statistics to illustrate how you should always take pre-season results with a pinch of salt:

11 – Goals in Arsenal‘s final pre-season game at Legia Warsaw. The Gunners won 6-5, having been 3-0 down.

80% – Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea have lost four of their five preseason games, including yesterday’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Community Shield.

(Some statistics courtesy of @OptaJoe.)

The week in numbers: w/e 1/8/10

19 – Total number of medals won by the Great Britain team (six gold, seven silver, six bronze) at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, one better than the previous championship best of 18 at Split in 1990.

Mo Farah

1 – Mo Farah‘s victory in the 10,000 metres was Britain’s first-ever gold medal in the event. It was also Farah’s first major championship title.

17.81 – Distance (in metres) jumped by Phillips Idowu to win the gold medal in the triple jump. It was a lifetime best by the British athlete.

6,823 – Total points accumulated by Jessica Ennis in winning the heptathlon, setting a new European Championships record. Ennis beat Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska of Ukraine into second place by just 45 points.

726 – As of Sunday, days remaining until the start of the 2012 London Olympics – July 27th was the ‘two years to go’ milestone.

James Anderson

11/71 – James Anderson‘s combined return in the first Test match as England defeated Pakistan by 354 runs at Trent Bridge. He took 5/54 in the first innings and followed it up with 6/17 in the second, as the visitors were dismissed for just 80.

20 – After Sunday’s Hungarian GP, the points separating Mark Webber (161 points), the Formula 1 championship leader, from Fernando Alonso in fifth (141) – less than the 25 on offer for a race win.

45 – Points difference after the first period in the AFL local derby between the Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles – 7.6 (48) vs 0.3 (3). The match finished 160-85 in favour of Fremantle.

0 – Total transfer fees paid for central defender Sol Campbell during his professional career – all his moves have come on a free transfer. He signed for Newcastle on Wednesday, having previously played for Tottenham, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Notts County before a second stint at Arsenal last season.

My sporting month: August 2010

You know summer’s nearly over when the newspapers start to publish their new season previews and the invites to join various fantasy football leagues flood into your inbox. Of course, the start of the new Premier League season is a big event, but there’s more to the month of August than football.

With that in mind, here are the top five non-football sporting events I will be watching over the coming month:

1. AFL round 18: West Coast Eagles v Fremantle Dockers (1st)

It has been (yet again) a tough season to be a West Coast fan, with the Eagles languishing at the foot of the ladder while the Dockers are seemingly playoff-bound, but there is always the opportunity for local bragging rights over the neighbours to look forward to. West Coast will be looking to avenge a heavy 111-73 defeat in May, which would represent an all-too-rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal year.

2. England v Pakistan – 2nd, 3rd & 4th Tests (starting 6th, 18th, 26th)

Pakistan bowler Mohammed Aamer

Following on from the first Test which started on Thursday, England‘s final matches before heading down under for their defence of the Ashes will provide a good benchmark as to our likely squad and prospects against a Pakistan side who are as capable of brilliant cricket as they are of total implosion. Never a dull moment.

3. Vuelta a España (starts 28, ends 19th September)

Alejandro Valverde (image courtesy of khoogheem)

The last of this year’s three Grand Tours, the Vuelta often feels like the slightly shabby cousin of the family when compared to the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, particularly because of its timing so late in the season, when many riders are looking forward to either the World Championships or a well-earned break. However, the Vuelta remains an intriguing race, with some incredibly tough climbs and generally more open competition than you see at the other Grand Tours. Defending champion Alejandro Valverde is otherwise occupied serving a doping ban, and with many top riders likely to opt out after a brutal Tour, we should get an interesting look at riders who might otherwise be swamped by the established heads of state. Watch out for Tejay van Garderen, the 21-year old HTC-Columbia rider, who impressed with his third place at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June. With Lance Armstrong retiring, American cycling will be looking for a new young hero – van Garderen and 20-year old Taylor Phinney are strong candidates to fill Lance’s considerable shoes.

4. Belgian Grand Prix (29th)

After a four-week summer break following this afternoon’s Hungarian GP, the Formula 1 circus will return to action at one of the drivers’ and fans’ favourite venues, the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. With championship leader Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber currently separated by just 21 points (and with Ferrari‘s Fernando Alonso lurking in close attendance), we are facing the prospect of a genuine four-way (potentially even five-way) battle for the drivers’ title. With just six races remaining after Belgium, major points in this race could be vital by season’s end.

5. US Open tennis (starts 30th, ends 12th September)

The final Grand Slam tournament of the year will hopefully see the oft-injured Juan Martin del Potro defend his men’s singles title, while Kim Clijsters will be dreaming of a repeat of her fairytale comeback win in 2009.