Umpires agreed to fix matches, claims India sting

October 9, 2012

ICC_World_t20

Mumbai, October 9: Every once in a while, with depressing frequency, the cricket world is jolted by allegations of match-fixing. But so far, these had only involved players.

On Monday, though, private news channel unveiled a sting operation, conducted in July and August, which seems to reveal that umpires, who are supposed to protect the laws of the game, may themselves be up for sale.

The channel's sting allegedly caught six umpires from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on camera 'agreeing' to give decisions on demand.

The umpires named in the sting operation are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka's Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage.



TOI could not independently ascertain the veracity of the channel's claims. Ghauri and Shah have already denied the allegations, with Shah terming them "absolutely rubbish".

The International Cricket Council has launched an investigation into the allegations made by the channel.

The ICC, in a release on Monday, said, "The ICC and its relevant members have been made aware of the allegations made by the news channel this evening and calls on the station to turnover any information which can assist the ICC's urgent investigations into this matter.

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."

In the sting operation, the reporters said they belonged to a sports management company and promised the umpires assignments in different events around the world, largely domestic Twenty20 leagues.

While Ghauri and Shah appeared to agree to give wrong decisions, Gallage was ready to pass on information about the toss, the pitch and weather conditions in a match before it was available to the public.

In May, the same television channel's sting operation prompted the Indian cricket board to ban one uncapped cricketer for life and hand out lesser punishments to four others for involvement in corruption in domestic cricket.


Last year, Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were jailed in Britain following a sting operation for their role in a spot-fixing scandal relating to a test match against England at Lord's in August 2010.

Amongst the officials caught in the operation, only Shah and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid represent the current panel of the ICC. The channel, however, claimed that Sharfudoullah refused to give any favours.

The expose seemed to show Sri Lankan umpire Gallage agreeing to leak information on the pitch, weather, toss, and even the playing elevens of India and Pakistan ahead of their World T20 warm-up match for Rs 50,000.

Gallage, who was the fourth umpire in the game, went to the extent of guaranteeing support for a 'particular player' in case of any disciplinary action, the footage showed.

He also promised not to dock the player of his match fee should he be pulled up for slow over-rate. Dissanayake was shown as claiming that "by providing liquor to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials, one can get any work done."

A stunned SLC chairman Nishantha Ranatunga told TOI that the board would take action as soon as the ICC probe into the matter was over. "The SLC has zero tolerance level against doping and corrupt activities.

We are waiting for the ICC to launch an investigation into this and once the probe is over, we'll take necessary action. Having said that, we have the highest confidence in our match officials," Ranatunga said.

Ghauri, a former ICC umpire from Pakistan, appeared to promise to 'do anything' for a payment. Ghauri has officiated in 43 ODIs and 14 Tests and his last international game came in November 2010.

The channel claimed Ghauri's countryman Siddiqui also was 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,' the channel said.

Officials from the cricket boards of Bangladesh and Pakistan could not be reached for comment.

The dialogue between the umpires and the reporters

NADEEM GHAURI

Reporter: Achha achha maan lijiye jaise LBW hai (OK, take for example, LBW)

Nadeem: Haan ji (Yes)

R: Leg before wicket

N: Haan (Yes)

R: Isme, uska khiladi ka favour ho sakta hai? (Here, can that player be favoured?)

N: Haan, bilkul bilkul. (Yes, certainly, certainly)

R: To yeh favour kar denge aap? (So, will you carry out this favour?)

N: Haan, bilkul yeh ho sakta hai. (Yes, this can certainly be done.)

R: Haan toh isi tareeke ke, jaise maan lijiye bahut close nick hota hai bat se, caught behind the wicket hota hai. (So, in the same fashion, imagine a very close nick. It can be a caught behind)

N: Haan yeh bhi theek hai, kyonki wahaan jakar jo meeting hoti hai usme yeh dekhna padega ki Snickometer toh nahi hai ya Hawkeye to nahi hai. (Yes, this is also OK, because there is a meeting to ascertain whether it is a Snickometer or Hawkeye)

NADIR SHAH

Reporter: Sir, fixing toh BPL mein bhi bahut hua hai. (Sir, there has also been a lot of fixing in the BPL)

Nadir: Haan hua, do aadmi ko pakda. Kaun kiya fixing maloom hai, woh naam bataya Jamshed, woh left handed opener. (Yes, there was. They even caught two men. We know who carried out the fixing. Jamshed, that left-handed opener.)

R: Jamshed?

N: Woh teen run-out kar diya, Jamshed jo India ka saath century kiya na. (The same one who did three run-outs, Jamshed scored a century against India, no?)

R: Nasir Jamshed, Pakistani opener?

N: Haan. (Yes.)

R: Lekin Pakistan ne usko ban kyon nahi kiya Nasir Jamshed ko? (But why didn't Pakistan ban him, that Nasir Jamshed?)

N: Pakistan ne nahi kiya because the information was later on didn't pass. (Pakistan did not because the information was not passed on.) They had the proof, they manage down the carpet. Because that will have a bad name on BPL and Bangladesh Cricket Board, which we cannot afford

R: Hamare player ko jo favour mil sakta hai SLPL mein aapse, woh kin kin cheezon mein mil sakta hai? (What are the kinds of favour our player can get from you during the SLPL?)

N: LBW

SAGARA GALLAGE

Sagara: Three things I can do it. I can do the pitch report at least one and a half before the start the match.

Reporter: OK! You can give me pitch report half an hour before the match start. You are talking about the SLPL final.

S: That's true, tomorrow.

R: OK! Tomorrow, Ya second

S: Second one is the team, playing eleven, before 35 minutes of the match start.

R: What about the third thing?

S: Third thing is toss. Who won the toss, who is fielding, who is batting. I will inform because we show in the TV at the last moment of the start of the match but I can tell you about 25 minutes before the start

A STRING OF STINGS

No. 1: Bangladesh umpire Nadir Shah told the India TV undercover reporter that he was ready to fix any match - whether international, county or league matches. Nadir Shah offered to give decisions like "out", "not out" in any format of the game. He has officiated in 40-plus one-day internationals, six test matches as TV umpire and three tests as reserve umpire. Nadir Shah also revealed on hidden camera that Pakistan's opening batsman Nasir Jamshed 'fixed' several matches during the Bangladesh Premier League. He also said, umpires from Bangladesh are always ready to 'help' their country's cricketers.

No. 2: Sri Lankan premier panel umpire Sagara Gallage was the fourth umpire at the crucial India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match on Sept 17. For a payment of Rs 50,000, Sagara agreed to reveal the match pitch report, weather report, toss report, and even the playing elevens of both teams. Gallage promised to give Pak batsman Imran Nazir out, even if he was not out, in exchange of money in Sri Lankan Premier League. Gallage even promised the undercover reporter to get a decision made in favour of India in course of the match by 'managing' the match referee and other officials.

No. 3: Pakistan's ICC international panel umpire Nadeem Ghauri also agreed to help Team India in all manners. As quid pro quo, he agreed to take all amounts underhand in "black". He promised to do any kind of favour for any player in umpiring.

No. 4: Sri Lankan's premier panel umpire Maurice Winston Dela Zilwa's name was recommended by another Sri Lankan umpire Sagara Gallage to the India TV undercover reporter. For the crucial T20 world cup match on Sept 17 between Australia and England, Maurice Winston shared the pitch report, toss report and playing elevens of both teams and demanded Rs 50,000 bribe. He agreed to take the entire amount in 'black'.

No. 5: Sri Lankan umpire Gamini Dissanayake went a step ahead. On camera, he promised to 'revolt' against Sri Lankan cricket if given a handsome amount. Gamini told the undercover India TV reporter that by providing liquor and picnic to Sri Lankan Cricket Board officials, one can get any work done. Gamini's name was mentioned by Maurice Winston.

No. 6: Pakistan's elite panel umpire Anees Siddiqui was also ready to get a decision in favour of Team India in lieu of money in black. Anees promised that he would manage the PCB to accept a decision favourable to India.

No. 7: Bangladesh ICC international panel umpire Sharfudoullah Ibne Shahid Saikat was also approached. He however refused to give any favour in exchange of money.

No. 8: Minhazuddin Khan, the media manager of Dhaka Gladiators revealed to India TV undercover reporter that Pakistan's player Azhar Mehmood had indulged in match-fixing during the Sri Lankan Premier League. He didn't come to play. Minhaz also revealed that Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved and Ahmed Shahzad regularly used to take call girls to their rooms straight from aftermatch parties. Minhaz also revealed that he and Bangladesh opened Tamil Iqbal often used to go to Dubai and Malaysia for holidays, and used to get money from Bangladesh through 'hawala'.

No. 9: Sandeep Bhammer, the promoter of Sri Lankan Premier League agreed to give sponsorships of all franchises in lieu of US$7,40,000.



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News Network
April 12,2020

New Delhi, Apr 12: As devotees across the world celebrate Easter today, former Sri Lanka skipper and current Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) president Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday condoled the demise of people who lost their lives during last year's Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka and said someone must seek answers to the questions which still remain unresolved.

"A year on we all share the pain of the families grieving lives lost, we stand with you and for you. We remember. So many questions still unanswered, but answer them someone must," Sangakkara tweeted.

On April 21, 2019, multiple blasts ripped through Sri Lanka when the Christian community was celebrating Easter Sunday.
The explosions rattled churches and high-end hotels across the country, killing 258 people and injuring over 500.

A local terror group called National Thowheeth Jama'ath had claimed responsibility for the devastating attacks.

The island nation was put under a state of emergency for a period of four months from April to August.

The Sri Lankan police had then said that 293 suspects were arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday bombings in the island country in April.

This year, most of the devotees would be offering the prayers from their homes as mass gatherings have been suspended in most countries due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion on Good Friday. It also marks the culmination of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and penance.

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Agencies
July 8,2020

New Delhi, Jul 8: After a hiatus of 116 days, international cricket will be resuming today as England and West Indies lock horns in a three-match Test series.

Since March, no international cricket has been played due to the coronavirus pandemic. Because of this virus, whole sporting action across the world came to a standstill.

Australia and New Zealand had played the last international cricket match on March 13 behind closed doors, but the remaining two ODIs of this particular series were cancelled due to COVID-19.

India and South Africa's ODI series also met the same fate due to the pandemic.
It was looking as if it will take a while for sports to come back, but slowly and steadily, all different sports have managed to get into gear and provide fans some respite in these turbulent times.

German football league Bundesliga was the first one to come back, and the organisers set the template as to how to go about conducting tournaments behind closed doors, keeping all safety protocols in check.

Soon after, La Liga, Premier League, and Serie A followed and all major football leagues came back on the television screens across the globe. Formula One kickstarted last week with the Austrian Grand Prix and now it is the time for cricket to resume.

The series between England and West Indies will be played behind closed doors and the matches will be played in Southampton and Manchester. This will be the first time in the 143-year long history of Test cricket that the matches will be played without no crowds.

The England-Windies Test series will be held at Hampshire's Ageas Bowl and Lancashire's Emirates Old Trafford, which have been chosen as bio-secure venues. After the series against West Indies, England would also lock horns with Ireland in three ODIs and Pakistan in three ODIs and as many T20Is.

However, the series against West Indies will be followed closely across the world as all other boards would be looking to see as to how cricket series can be scheduled in their own backyard with the current scenario regarding coronavirus.

The dates for three Tests against West Indies are:

First Test: July 8-12 at Ageas Bowl
Second Test: July 16-20 at Emirates Old Trafford
Third Test: July 24-28 at Emirates Old Trafford

Windies side had arrived in the UK in mid-June and the entire camp had to quarantine themselves for 14 days at Manchester.

For the entire tour, the West Indies squad will live, train and play in a 'bio-secure' environment in England as part of the comprehensive medical and operations plans to ensure player and staff safety.

The bio-secure protocols will also restrict movement in and out of the venues.
Both England and West Indies have played intra-squad practice matches to get some cricketing form back.

While England played their practice match in Southampton, Windies played theirs at Manchester.

West Indies will be led by Jason Holder, while Ben Stokes would captain England in the first Test as regular skipper Joe Root has left the bio-secure bubble to attend the birth of his second child.

England squad for the first Test: Ben Stokes (captain), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Joe Denly, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

West Indies squad for the first Test: Jason Holder (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, and Kemar Roach.

As safety precautions against the coronavirus, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also brought about some changes to the playing conditions. The new guidelines include the ban of saliva to shine the ball and allowing replacement of players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a Test match.

Players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning.

A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side. Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommences.

Also, the requirement to appoint neutral match officials has been temporarily removed from the playing conditions for all international formats owing to the current logistical challenges with international travel. The ICC will be able to appoint locally based match officials from the ICC Elite Panel of Match Officials and the ICC International Panel of Match Officials.

Moreover, teams will be allowed to replace players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a Test match. In line with concussion replacements, the match referee will approve the nearest like-for-like replacement. However, the regulation for COVID-19 replacements will not be applicable in ODIs and T20Is.

The ICC had also confirmed an additional unsuccessful DRS review for each team in each innings of a match, keeping in mind that there may be less experienced umpires on duty at times.

This will increase the number of unsuccessful appeals per innings for each team to three for Tests and two for the white-ball formats.

The first Test between England and West Indies gets underway later today from 3:30 PM IST.

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News Network
June 13,2020

Melbourne, Jun 13: Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist and current opener David Warner have expressed gratitude to two Indian students for helping people in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gilchrist thanked Sharon Varghese, an Indian student who did her Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Wollongong.

Varghese has been was working on the frontline along with other health care workers to look after the residents of aged-care during the global health crisis.

"She gave up her time to work as an aged-care worker throughout that time. Sharon, I want to say congratulations on the selfless act and for wanting to thank people in Australia because you have enjoyed three and a half years living here. And that’s wonderful to hear," Gilchrist said in a video message.

"Just want to let you know, all of Australia, all of India and more importantly, your family will be so very proud of your efforts."

In another short video, Warner thanked Queensland-based Indian student, Shreyas Sheth.

"Namaste. I am here to say thank you to Shreyas Sheth who is doing selfless work to help others during the COVID crisis. Shreyas is doing his Masters in Computer Science at the University of Queensland and he has been part of University’s outreach program, preparing and delivering food packets to students in need right now," Warner said in the video.

"So I just want to say ‘good on ya’. I am sure your mum and dad and India are proud of you. Keep up the great work."

The videos were shared by Austrade India official twitter account, which have hit almost 10 thousand views in last one week.

Apart from the two cricketers, another Social Media Influencer Amy Aela also sent her thank you note to Liya, an Indian student from Griffith university for her work in providing mental health support to communities in Australia during the pandemic.

"Liya I just want to thank you...we definately need more people like you...just remember that Australia is so so proud of you, India is proud of you..please keep up the good work," Aela said.

Former Australian footballer Craig Foster also sent his thank you message to another Indian origin nurse Arushi from Deakin University. More than 100,000 Indian students are studying in Australia, currently making them one of the biggest cohorts of international students in the country.

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