Decoding Sobers Joban - the mastermind who promised to book BBL matches

On the eve of the third Test of the Ashes 2017-18, the cricket world was rocked again by its biggest nemesis – the spot fixing. A team of British newspaper, The Sun, carried out a sting operation that showed Sobers Joban, an Indian businessman, claiming to fix the Big Bash League this year and also rig the players for the Perth Test.

In the video of the sting operation, Sobers is seen trying to sell the details of the rigged periods of play for the ongoing match at Perth. He went on to quote that he had worked with some of the international cricketers before and that includes a ‘World Cup winning all-rounder’. The British tabloid further claimed that the undercover agents were even asked for USD 187,000 to do the spot fixing in the matches in the specific patterns they wish to see during the course of the game.

The video was made public by the British newspaper. In the video, Sobers Joban went on to quote, “So what you want? You want to see something magic in Big Bash?” Interestingly, Sobers is not alone in his activities. He is working with his partner, Priyank Sharma.

Sobers’ ally – Priyank Saxena

Priyank, in the video, claimed that they are capable of fixing up to 4 matches in the 2017-18 edition of the Big Bash League with the help of one Australian cricketer. They went on to claim that with such fixes, the bookies can make millions not just in the BBL, but also in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Who is Sobers Joban?

Sobers Joban was born on January 21, 1986 at Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India. He was a promising cricketer who played U19 and U22 level cricket at the state levels. As per the reports in the Indian Express, his father noted that they had named him after former West Indies cricketer Gary Sobers. His father also remarked that his son is innocent and is being framed.

The video further noted that the players can earn 6 million Euros by fixing matches and the bookies can rake in six times the same amount. Priyank noted that the cash transfers made to the players are in the ‘hawala’ mode and hence, the interpol cannnot track them.