Match-Fixing Scandals That Shocked Cricket Fans
The “gentleman’s game” has been tainted by match-fixing incidents several times since the turn of the century. The majority of the culprits have received severe punishment and have never played cricket again, while only a small number, like Mohammad Amir, have made successful comebacks after serving time off.
1 Hansie Cronje Fixing Scandal
It was revealed that Delhi Police had recorded a shady conversation between Sanjay Chawla and Hansie Cronje in 2000, which was one of the biggest match-fixing scandals in cricket. Cronje was a beloved and successful cricketer in South Africa. The controversy erupted after his involvement with Indian betting syndicate member Sanjay Chawla was uncovered.
2 The Chris Cairns Fixing Scandal
An inquiry conducted by the ICC alleges that New Zealand legend Chris Cairns while playing for Chandigarh Lions of the Indian Cricket League (ICL), attempted to fix games.
Lou Vincent, a former New Zealand opener, claimed Cairns was trying to fix matches with him. Also, McCullum told ACSU in Cairns that the government bowed to his pressure and fixed it for him. Despite this, Cairns insisted that he had never fixed any of the matches.
3 Salim Malik Fixing Scandal
Salim Malik was regarded as a great cricketer in the 80s and 90s, having captained his country’s cricket team. However, it remained hidden until his involvement in the biggest match-fixing scandal became public. He is the first cricketer to have been banned for match-fixing in the 21st century. Malik received the ban while captaining a South African and Zimbabwean cricket tour. His role in the game was not affected by his accusations of taking bribes.
4 The IPL Spot Fixing
During the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, three Rajasthan Royals cricketers were accused of fixing matches. Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila resigned from their positions at the IPL franchise. Vindu Dara Singh and Gurunathfor Meiyappan, Mumbai police officers, accuse them of betting and having connections with bookies.
In the wake of the arrests, the Rajasthan Royals suspended the trio’s contracts until further investigation was conducted. Spot-fixing was claimed to be the responsibility of Sreesanth and Chavan by Delhi police. Chandila was also accused of attempting to enlist others in the spot-fixing, as directed by the bookies.
5 Shane Warne & Mark Waugh Fixing Scandal
In 1994-95, Mark Waugh and Shane Warne exchanged payment for information about the weather and pitch with Indian bookie John the bookmaker. Australia’s Cricket Board initially tried to avoid a spotlight on the most serious match-fixing scandal of the 1990s. When the controversy arose in 1998, both Warne and Waugh insisted that no strategic material was revealed.
Fun Fact
Who is best match fixer in Football History?
As the most prolific match-fixer in recent football history, Wilson Raj Perumal has been labeled as the world’s most prolific match-fixer. Wilson grew up in rural Singapore in the mid-60’s and became the most wanted man in all of FIFA after mounting a global match-fixing conspiracy across five continents.
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