SECRET CRICKETER: The media need to help eliminate spot-fixing from cricket and other sports

Our Secret Cricketer joins the spot-fixing in cricket debate and calls on the media to help clean up the sport.

“Hey, can I have a chat?”

“Yeah, man, what’s up?”

“Ummmmmm…. Have you been up to no good, mate?”

“Huh?”

“You know, no good, doing some dumb shit while playing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on, you know what I’m talking about. Have you been fixing?”

I wonder how often, or if ever, this conversation has been had between team-mates in a changing room, hotel lobby, café, restaurant or wherever?

I’m going to have a guess at almost never. But how often have players ever suspected a team-mate, in a game they’re playing in, or watching, is or has been deliberately under-performing.

And what would the reaction be from the suspected player if they were asked by a team-mate? Denial, almost certainly.

The sport’s world was shocked again this week by allegations of match fixing in tennis but cricket was left only to shake a knowing head. The manipulation of periods of play (games & sets) and even outright match results.

If there’s money to be made, someone will want an advantage. If people are involved there will always be influence and corruption not to far away, that’s human nature.

Sport is a pastime. Gambling is a pastime. They go so well together. From the simple “bet you can’t hit this next one” as an on field taunt or challenge, to “don’t hit that one” as an off field fix.

Tennis, like cricket, like snooker, darts, baseball, and plenty of other sports that can be gambled on, and where individuals can easily manipulate a period of the contest, are all highly susceptible to advances from those that want to make some easy money.

It’s not always about money, well not directly. We read last week, here on Yahoo, confessions from Don Topley, former Essex player in the 80’s and 90’s, regarding match results being manipulated (fixed in all honesty) where the outcome was positions on points tables and therefore trophies were the reward; A “you can win this one in this comp, but let us win the next one in the other comp” scenario.

Players inadvertently drawn into shady deals, a couple have put their hands up and spoken about it, confessed if you like, but how many haven’t?

How many are still involved in the game? How many have gone from “poachers to gamekeepers”? This is also a topic Topley inferred confessing that some of those that were involved in some of the shadier dealings are now calling out others for their behaviors, whether that be coaching, managing or in the media.

Just as Topley, back when he opened up about some of the backroom and on field goings on in 1994, was shunned for his confessions, others that consider whistleblowing suffer also.

One whistleblower, recently, had to move counties because of the animosity from those at the club that he drew attention to.

Fans are hurting but so are the players. The sport belongs to all of us and all of us have a duty to do the right thing but the stakes are too high for whistleblowers as they feel like they’ll be standing alone - that can’t continue.

This is where the media has to earn it’s money and take the lead. For all the columns and match reports, this is where the media is at it’s best and it can’t let us down now.

Just a couple of months ago Brendon McCullum sat in the docks at Southwark Courts and was torn to pieces by Chris Cairns’ lawyers.

McCullum had reported alleged advances from Cairns and, for his actions, had to deal with some very public reputation questioning that can only put others off from coming forward.

An opinion also shared by the chief executive of the UK’s Professional Cricketers’ Association, Angus Porter, when he said: “It doesn’t encourage people to believe that if they come forward with information they are going to have a happy experience following on from that.

“People have seen how tough and challenging it can be, both in the witness box and in terms of how their reputation might or might be affected by it.”

If I had before now been approached, without doubt, I would have reported it. I would have talked it over with a couple of friends on how to do it, the effect it would have and then I would have made the phone call.

If I was to be approached now, I’m genuinely not sure I’d report it after the treatment whistleblowers currently get, I’d report it.

Where and how do we draw a line in the sand? If we want to clean up sport how do we do it? How do we move things on?

We’ve all got to work together. Media and administration too. If people want this cleaned up then it can’t be half-hearted. The odd leak and accusation won’t win the war. Players have to be bold. Media have to be bold. Find a way, somehow.

It needs much more investigation so that whistleblowers can feel confident to come out. The players and coaches need the support of the media here - exactly what Don Topley didn’t get in 1994.