Umpires ready to fix matches for money?
Cricket – the game of gentleman – suffered a massive setback on Monday when an Indian television sting operation unearthed umpires match fixing scandal..
India TV, the same channel which had exposed the corruption in India’s domestic circuit, claimed that six umpires, including three Sri Lankans, two Pakistanis and a Bangladeshi were allegedly ready to give favourable decisions in exchange of money in the matches of recently-concluded ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
The umpires named in the sting operation are Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui and Nadir Shah of Bangladesh. None of these umpires are part of the International Cricket Council (ICC’s) international or elite panel.
The visuals related to match fixing scandal screened on the channel showed the umpires negotiating deals with under-cover reporters to get financial benefits in exchange of favourable decisions.
During the sting operation, the undercover reporters showed as they are the agents of a sports management company and vowed the umpires to officiate assignments in all sort of events across the globe, particularly the lucrative T20 leagues.
Ghauri, a former ICC umpire from Pakistan who has stood in 43 ODIs, 14 Test matches and four T20 matches, can be seen in the video footage discussing with the reporters the conditions under which he could give pre-planed decisions like lbw, caught behind wicket, for money in the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL).
Ghauri denied the allegation of being involved in match fixing scandal and said that he was never involved in officiating any of the games in the SLPL.
Ghauri’s compatriot, Siddiqui is purportedly seen on camera saying he can do everything for money, even can “manage” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to accept a decision in the favor of India.
Shah, who has officiated in more then 40 one-dayers, six Test matches as TV umpire and three Tests as reserve umpire, was visualized offering to give demanded decisions like “out”, “not out” in any format of the sport.
Shah also denied being part of match fixing scandal and rubbished the allegations against him saying: “Absolutely rubbish. If I am going to fix match, I will be caught some day by the ICC… No umpire fixes matches,” he said.
Gallage, a Sri Lankan premier panel umpire, was alleged to have provided pre-match information relating to the warm-up game of ICC World Twenty20 between Pakistan and India. .
Meanwhile, the ICC has said that it will launch an urgent probe over allegations and asked the TV channel to provide information so that it can help in an investigation into the matter.
The governing body also confirmed that none of the named umpires were involved in any of the official games of the World T20.
‘The ICC and its relevant members have been made aware of the allegations made by India TV this evening and calls on the station to turnover any information which can assist the ICC’s urgent investigations into this matter,” ICC said a statement.
‘The ICC re-iterates its zero-tolerance towards corruption whether alleged against players or officials. The ICC confirms that none of the umpires named were involved in any of the official games of the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
‘The ICC will not make any further comment on this issue.”
