SECRET CRICKETER - The extent of match-fixing in cricket would astound people

Our Secret Cricketer blows the lid on the extent of match-fixing in cricket and believes some of the names approached would astound people.

It happens everywhere. It has happened everywhere. It’s happening right now, somewhere.

Somewhere, someone is on the take. Underperforming for money. Underperforming to order.

Can you blame them? The money on offer is phenomenal.

While the Chris Cairns trial is proceeding in London we have heard from many current and ex international cricketers about some of the, alleged, goings on in the, now defunct, Indian Cricket League and in English domestic cricket.

The testimony from Lou Vincent is a genuine eye opener to most. But to us cricketers that have played, travelled, watched, talked cricket for a living, it was no surprise.

The whispers and silent allegations, hearsay, from players towards others is rife. Players know what’s happening. They can spot it. Players see patterns that others might not. We see unusual behaviour, unusual performances. We hear things, see things and are privy to information that others not in the inner circle of changing rooms and hotel bar chats are.

We hear of what players are up to, how they are doing it and whom they have under their wing. It’s always discussed in hushed tones; it is like a secret club. The biggest secret that we all know. We hear:

• “Watch this guy, he always bowls a wide in his first over”
  

• “He’ll (batsman) never be more than five from his first 10 balls”
  

• “Keep an eye on him if he changes his (batting) gloves”
  

• “When he (bowler) moves his towel from the back to the front of his trousers, here comes a big over”
  

• “If you see him (bowler) kicking up his foot-holes/tying his shoe lace for an extended amount of time, keep an eye out for a couple of boundaries”
  

• “Did you see them NOT celebrate their own unlikely team win”
  

• “Watch those two (openers), it’s like they’re both trying run each other out or be the first one to be run out”
  

• “Why was he bowling then? That makes no sense”
  

• “Have you seen how many balls he blocks in the last 4 overs of the innings?”
  

I have seen a list of players, a long list, which was handed to the ACSU some time ago. It contained player’s names with “possible involvement” activities and events - questionable outs/bowling/field settings/bowlers used. Basically, here is a list of players that need investigating, and here is a starting point, an in game occurrence, to start your investigations.

The names on that list would astound and sour you. Some of the biggest names to have ever played the game. Players we’ve all looked up to, played against, and at times wondered how they could be so exceptional. The names on the list is not a guarantee that these players are corrupt, but I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the names on it have been involved at some stage in their careers.

Of course I can’t tell you the names. I’m sorry.

A senior player, who a friend of mine shared a changing room with, was asking, quite openly, some of the younger players “how much would it take for you to throw a game? How much, if you knew you’d never get caught?” My friend shut the chat down. Told him that kind of chat was not welcome. Whether this was an innocent inquiry or the start of a grooming process, who knows? But it made others feel uncomfortable with that being thrown around especially from a player that should have known better. Drinks were on me when my friend told me the story that night because he stuck his neck out. There are a whole load of us that want every sniff of corruption stamped out but we feel powerless because it’s daunting - it’s too big now!

This was soon after an ex-England cricketer had revealed he’d been approached and offered £5million (to be split with the team) to fix a period of play and the result of a domestic televised T20. He was also told that four other teams were on-board but not told which ones were.

While standing on the park, or in the changing room, I’ve never felt that a game I’m playing in has a result that’s curious or needs investigating. Sure there were curious big wides or massive no-balls bowled, which makes us, as players, all look at each other “knowingly” but we’re unable to prove anything. And that’s the problem. How do you prove that someone has fixed a period of play or a game result has been manufactured?

That’s not to say it hasn’t happen - I just haven’t detected it while involved.

I’d love to believe that all the games I’m playing in, wins and losses, are genuine, are clean. But deep down, I don’t think they are, not all of them, not all parts of all of them. I just have to live with it.