Match-Fixing: Hall of Shame

 Match-Fixing: Hall of Shame

Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif: The three Pakistani cricketers were banned by the International Cricket Council from all forms of cricket for terms of five to 10 years, after a three-man tribunal took the decision on February 5, 2011. The spot-fixing controversy broke thanks to a News of the World sting operation during Pakistan's tour of England, in which the newspaper reported the three players had accepted bribes from agent and bookie Mazhar Majeed to under-perform at certain points in the fourth Test at Lord's. Undercover reporters secretly taped Majeed informing them after accepting money that Aamer and Asif would bowl no-balls at specific points in an over.

Hansie Cronje: Former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje shocked the cricketing world when he admitted to his role in a match-fixing scandal. The chain of events that brought about Cronje's downfall started on April 7, 2000, when Delhi police revealed they had a record of a conversation between the then SA skipper and Indian bookmaker Sanjay Chawla over match-fixing allegations. Apart from Cronje, three other SA players - Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom - were also implicated. Though Cronje denied any wrongdoing at first, he later admitted to accepting between $10000 to $15000 from a London-based bookmaker for 'forecasting results'. As a result, the King Commission was formed on June 7, 2000, to look into these allegations and based on their findings and players' statements, Cronje was banned from playing or coaching cricket for life on October 11.

Mohammad Azharuddin: Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin was accused of match-fixing after then South Africa skipper, the late Hansie Cronje said in his confession that Azhar had introduced him to bookies. Azharuddin later admitted to fixing three ODI matches and was banned from cricket for life by the BCCI in 2000. The BCCI, however, not only lifted the ban on Azharuddin in 2006, but that same year, also honoured him along with other Indian Test captains in a ceremony. He is now a Congress MP from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.

Saleem Malik: When Malik was banned from cricket for life following an enquiry by Justice Qayyum's enquiry in May 2000, he became the first-ever cricketer to be banned for match fixing. Malik had captained Pakistan in South Africa and Zimbabwe before he was suspended following allegations of bribery, and though he was found innocent at the time, his fall from grace was completed when he received his life ban after Australian cricketers Shane Warne and Mark Waugh alleged Malik had offered them money to underperform during Australia's tour of Pakistan in 1994

Ata-ur-Rehman: He claimed in 1998 that Wasim Akram had paid him 100,000 Pakistani rupees to bowl badly in a one-day match held at Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 1994. However, Ata initially denied he had made these allegations at Justice Qayyum's Commission hearing into match-fixing. When the statement was produced, Ata said he had changed his story initially as he was threatened with dire consequences. However, under cross examination, he retracted his statement against Akram and said the match-fixing allegations were false. As he had perjured himself, the Commission recommended that Ata be banned from international cricket; his life ban was lifted by the ICC in November 2006.

Maurice Odumbe: In March 2004, former Kenya captain Maurice Odumbe was investigated by the International Cricket Council following allegations of possible match-fixing and was found guilty in August 2004 of receiving money from bookmakers and banned from cricket for five years.

Marlon Samuels: Indian police accused Samuels of giving out team information to a known bookie prior to the first ODI between the West Indies and India in Nagpur on January 21, 2007. After a hearing into the matter, the International Cricket Council enforced a mandatory ban on Samuels backdated from May 9, 2008 which kept him out of cricket for two years as he was found guilty of breaking rules designed to stop players betting on matches. His ban ended on May 9, 2010, and Samuels returned to international cricket in the recently concluded limited-overs series against Pakistan.

Manoj Prabhakar: Former India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar was banned for five years in 2000 for his alleged involvement in match-fixing. Prabhakar tried to implicate his teammates including the legendary Kapil Dev in the match-fixing controversy, but the move backfired as he was banned for his own alleged involvement.

Ajay Jadeja: Hw was banned for five years as he was alleged to have associated himself with bookmakers. The ban was later quashed by the Delhi High Court on January 27, 2003, making Jadeja eligible to play domestic and international cricket.

Herschelle Gibbs: He was involved in the match-fixing affair with former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje, who offered him $15,000 to score 'less than 20' in the third One-day International of a series against India. In his statement to the King Commission, he admitted he had initially agreed to underperform in the ODI game at Nagpur, but later reneged on the deal and scored 74 off just 53 balls in the said match; as a result he was banned for only six months.

Wasim Akram: There were allegations that former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was involved in match fixing. An inquiry commission was set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board headed by a Pakistan high court judge, Malik Mohammad Qayyum. The judge wrote in his report that: 'This commission feels that all is not well here and that Wasim Akram is not above board. He has not co-operated with this Commission. It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match-fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion

Mushtaq Ahmed: The Justice Qayyum Commission report stated that Mushtaq has had associations with gamblers, and recommended that 'Mushtaq Ahmed be censured, kept under close watch and be not given any office of responsibility (selection or captaincy) in the team or on the board. Furthermore, he should be fined Rs 3 lac.'

Waqar Younis: Current Pakistan coach Waqar Younis was alleged to have contacts with bookmakers, but these claims weren't proved. The Justice Qayyum Commission, while stating the evidence against Waqar is primarily hearsey, said there is sufficient ground to recommend a censure and added he should be kept under observation and investigated and also be fined Rs 1 lac.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Akram Raza: The duo were alleged to have been present in the room when Saleem Malik made an offer to Rashid Latif to throw the fifth one-day match against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1993-94. The Justice Qayyum Commission while clearing them of match-fixing said 'the partial amnesia that these players seem to have developed was distressing' and believed that the two players knew more than they had revealed. Both the players were fined Rs 1 lac each.

Saeed Anwar: Former Pakistan opening batsman came under a cloud in a Singer Cup game against Australia in 1994, where he retired hurt because of cramps with his team 80 for 2 and returned to the middle when they were 124 for 5 chasing a target of 180. Pakistan lost this match by 28 runs, and Anwar later claimed that messages sent to him from the dressing room was to be careful and not get out as was alleged by Aamir Sohail among others. Though their report cleared him of match-fixing, the Justice Qayyum Commission felt he was witholding some evidence and recommended that Anwar be fined Rs 1 lac and kept under observation.

Mark Waugh and Shane Warne: While the younger Waugh said he had received $4000 from an Indian bookmaker for giving out pitch and weather information, the legendary leg-spinner said he had been given $5000 by the same person during Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in 1994. Cricket Australia fined Warne AUD 10000 and Waugh AUD 8000 for giving out information to bookies the following year.