The Reverse Sweep

Lord Condon reveals the extent of match-fixing and spot-fixing in cricket

The article by Lord Paul Condon, the first head of the ICC’s ACSU, in the London Evening Standard yesterday represented worrying reading.

Whilst most of us feared that the extent of match-fixing in the 1990s went beyond the few cricketers that were hung out to dry and ostracised from the game at the time, Condon made it clear that the stain on the sport was not confined just to the likes of Hansie Cronje, Mohammad Azharuddin and Salim Malik.

Indeed, Condon stated that match-fixing had been rife since the 1980s "in the late 1990s, Test and World Cup matches were being routinely fixed". He also said that “Every international team, at some stage, had someone doing some funny stuff."

Whilst Condon’s comments have provoked much consternation within the game, it does beggar the question why if things were as bad as he said were not more players investigated, banned and shamed. This is yet another stone to cast at the door of the ICC in the week that their much vaunted Test Championship has been postponed until at least 2017.

Condon suggests that by the time of the 2003 World Cup, the wholesale fixing of matches had been eradicated and the much more sophisticated practice of spot-fixing had taken over.

If Condon is right, then spot-fixing has been going on for more than eight years and if this disease has infected the premier international limited-overs competition and a Test match at Lord’s, one can only imagine how deep this curse runs in both international and domestic cricket across the globe. The trial of Mervyn Westfield in January next year will tell us more.

Condon is clearly suggesting that spot-fixing is as common in cricket today as other gambling past-times such as roulette, blackjack, slot machines or the increasingly popular online casino phenomenon are in the world at large. But whilst these are harmless and enjoyable ways of winning (or losing) money, the sinister growth of spot-fixing is most certainly not. 

In the wake of the sentences handed out to Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, we advocated some immediate steps for the ICC and the individual cricket boards to take. These included life bans for anyone found guilty, suspensions whilst investigations are undertaken and increased powers for the ACSU.

Cricket needs to wake up to the fact that it has a real problem and take the right steps to get its house in order. That means tough decisions and real action, not the fannying around that is the ICC’s current approach.

Where next?

Spot-fixing: What should the ICC do next?

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Revealed: New PCB Player Code of Conduct

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The contrarian erudite genius of Peter Roebuck 

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VVS Laxman makes a compelling case for Kolkata to stage more Tests

If the ECB had somehow engineered for VVS Laxman to play for England (and wouldn’t that be something to behold?), he could expect to play two Tests a year at the home of cricket Lord’s.

Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the nearest equivalent India has to Lord’s and is widely considered by players, commentators and spectators alike as one of the finest stages in the cricket playing world, and that accomplished stylist Laxman has bestrode this theatre like no other.

But since his debut in 1996, Laxman has only played 10 Tests in Kolkata. That’s just 10 Tests in 15 years instead of the 30 he would have played at Lord’s if he had been English (you see how much we wish Laxman was indeed English!).

Laxman’s figures at Eden Gardens are sensational: 1217 runs in 15 innings at an average of 110.63 with five hundreds - that is the best record of any batsman at one venue in Test cricket except for Don Bradman at Headingley and Greg Chappell at Brisbane. 

The first of his hundreds at Eden was of course the never-to-be-forgotten innings of 281 in the amazing come-back-from-the-dead victory against Australia in 2001, which in the context of the match, series and opposition must rank as one of the greatest Test innings of them all.

His last three innings on the hallowed turf has seen 112 not out against Pakistan in 2007, 143 not out against South Africa last year and yesterday’s 176 not out against an outclassed West Indies bowling attack – that’s 431 runs without being dismissed once.

Given that Laxman is ascetically the best batsman playing the game today when he is in full flow – only the bearded Laxman Hashim Amla comes close – this seems to represent a compelling case for the BCCI to stage one Test per series in Kolkata.

Indeed when you consider that another great Indian stylist of recent vintage - Mohammad Azharuddin also averaged over 100 at Eden Gardens, it is worth demanding that every home Test India plays should be held at the country’s greatest cricket ground.

Where next?

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If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep