Close on the heels of five Indian cricketers found involved in spot-fixing, a latest sting operation has revealed that six umpires were ready to be bribed during the recently concluded Twenty20 World Cup and Sri Lanka Premier League in August.
India TV, which had earlier conducted a sting operation on corruption in India’s domestic circuit, has come up with another footage showing six umpires from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, willing to give wrong decisions during a game.
The umpires are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka’s Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage. Amongst the officials interrogated on camera, only Shah and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid represent the current umpire panel of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The channel, however, claimed that Sharfudoullah refused to give any favour in lieu of money offered by the undercover reporters.
But Shah, who has officiated in 40 one-day internationals and three T20 Internationals, was ready to fix any match at international or domestic level. Shah also revealed that Pakistani batsman Nasir Jamshed “fixed” matches in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the channel said.
In another video of the sting, Sri Lankan umpire Gallage agreed to leak information on the pitch, weather, toss, and the playing elevens of India and Pakistan ahead of their World Twenty20 warm-up match Sep 17 for Rs.50,000. He was the fourth umpire in the game.
Dissanayake went a step ahead. Gamini claimed that by providing liquor to Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) officials, one can get any work done.
During the reporter’s conversation with Ghauri, a former ICC umpire from Pakistan, the latter promised to do anything for a payment. He has officiated in 43 ODIs and 14 Tests with his last international game back in November 2010.
The channel said Ghauri’s countryman Siddiqui was also ready to get a decision in favour of India for money. Anees promised that he would manage the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to accept a decision favourable to India.
ICC Must Inquire the Role of BCCI in Cricket Match Fixing
Now, this umpiring scandal duly exposed by India TV sting operation, at least proves one thing without any shadow of doubt; that Indian Cricket Board (BCCI Board of Control for Cash in India), was forced by Indian match fixing mafia, to veto in ICC, the UDRS application.
This lone Indian veto, increased the chances of match fixing, through un-scrupulous umpires without having to depend heavily on so many players.
Since, the cat is out of the bag, ICC must inquire the role of BCCI, in benefitting from all types of cricket matches in India and abroad being played without UDRS.
Cricket Gentleman's Game is now became bookies and mafia/corrupt men's Game. What to say about this game! moral impurity among ICC members especially SUB-CONTINENT countries brought bad name to this game. INDIA should be blamed for this.
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