Cricket is one of the most popular sports, and stays in the veins of the world. The biggest sport is a passion that unites millions around the globe. However, as it is the most viewed sport, it has been tainted by several Fixed Cricket Matches and scandals over the years.
Sport fixing become ridiculously easy nowadays, that’s why many rising stars get involved in it easily. You need to identify fixed match signs to keep yourself away from these. But, it’s challenging to understand, so we have crafted this comprehensive blog.
In this blog post, we will explore the signs of fixed cricket matches and highlight notable examples from recent years.
Table of Contents
What is Match Fixing?
Match fixing, basically means that the result of a cricket match is controlled, perhaps by offering or accepting the bribe. This can range from players and teams deciding to lose their matches, biased umpiring and other acts of influence. Such actions are unbecoming of the sport and can have disastrous consequences on the individuals concerned.
How to detect Fix Matches? Some of the signs of a fixed cricket matches
While not every unusual occurrence in cricket signals match-fixing, several indicators warrant closer examination:
Unusual Betting Patterns
Among the main suspicious indicators to look for, probably the most prominent one is the odds shift during a match. What we will do is, if the odds for a team are shifting dramatically just before the match, it will raise a question if somebody has inside information, or if there is rigging.
Suspicious Performances
Another cause of concern is when regular performers deviate from their standards in one way or the other. For instance, if a favourite batsman does not score or a top bowler gives away many runs, it looks fishy.
Strange Fielding Changes
Any time a team employs different fielding techniques or changes during a game, there might be something out of order. For instance, if a team acts like they are going to mess up in front of the net, they may not shoot well when they do get the puck, which gives the other team many opportunities to score.
Umpiring Controversies
Some umpiring disputes that give one team a major advantage also call for match-fixing. When the decisions seem to be prejudiced or random, they require scrutiny.
Insider Information
It becomes suspicious if individuals who are privy to match information place bets or have some unusual activity. Such situations may imply that they are relying on their privileged information to make a lot of money.
Top 4 Fixed Cricket Matches
2010: Pakistan vs. England
One of the most notorious Fixed Cricket Matches was witnessed in 2010 during Pakistan’s tour of England. Several Pakistani players were found guilty of spot-fixing, a form of match-fixing where specific events within a match are manipulated. For example, players were even involved in allegations of giving fixed over stipulated runs to make different amounts of money. This scandal was severe enough that some players received lifetime bans and shook the cricketing community.
2013: IPL Spot-Fixing Scandal
The Indian Premier League (IPL) was involved in a sport-fixing scandal in 2013. Most of the players and team officials named were accused of influencing the outcome of certain matches and overs. The effect was immense leaving the league down on its reputation and resulting in a major overhaul of the anti-corruption measures that had been put in place. The major performers drew lengthy suspensions and the scandal led to a larger debate as to the importance of stringent measures in cricket.
2019: Pakistan Super League (PSL) Match-Fixing
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) was marred with match-fixing scandals in 2019. Some of the players and officials were arrested for fixing matches mainly to enable bookmakers to make their bets. This led to the improvement of the league’s anti-corruption crusade besides forging a close relationship with cricketing bodies to protect the game from the vice.
2022: Match-Fixing Fear Rise from Big Bash League (BBL)
In 2022, there were some grey areas over match-fixing deals in the Australian Big Bash League(BBL). Although no hard evidence could be presented, the issues that were brought by the allegations put doubt into the credibility of the league. This led to more focus and demand for enhanced safety measures to ensure any irregularities are not committed in the first place.
Conclusion
The act of match-fixing is very dangerous to the game and other sporting disciplines. While it is not easy to pinpoint every case, awareness of such signals makes fans, let alone the authorities, open their eyes. Cricket boards and other anti-corruption bodies play a very sensitive role in the fight against Fixed Cricket Matches and manipulation of the game. As stakeholders, it is our duty to be informed and to continue to fight the good fight for transparency for the future of cricket.
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FAQ’s
What is the difference between match fixing and spot fixing?
Match-fixing is normally used to refer to cases whereby the whole match is rigged, while spot-fixing is where key moments in a match are rigged.
Did any Indian cricketer give their involvement in the 2000 Indian Premier League match-fixing scandal?
Yes, a few Indian cricketers were banned for their involvement in the 2000 IPL match-fixing scandal.
What are the other prominent cases that have ever been recorded in the history of cricket match-fixing?
Other big scandals include; the Pakistan cricket betting scandal in 2010 and the Match-fixing allegation for South Africa in 2013.
