Three International captains report approaches made by bookies to ICC

Since time immemorial, spot-fixing has tried its best to tarnish the sanctity of the gentleman’s game. Even after several measures, there is no way to eradicate it. The anti-corruption unit of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has now stated that as many as three skippers of international cricket teams have reported approaches made by bookies, to lure them into corrupt practices.

Who are the three names?

As per the reports in The Guardian, only two names have been leaked as of now. The first in the list is the Zimbabwean skipper Graeme Cremer. Cremer received offers from an intercessor for indulging in match-fixing, during the Test series against Windies on October. However, the man from Harare rejected the offer and and informed the concerned authorities within an hour.

The second name on the list is a big fish. The ICC Champions Trophy winning skipper, the leader of Pakistan, Sarfraz Ahmed was approached by the bookies. Ahmed’s side faced the Sri Lankans a couple of months ago in United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he was asked to break the cardinal laws of the game. The bookies wanted Sarfraz to register his name in spot-fixing in an ODI match, which was played in Abu Dhabi.

What lures them into such malpractices?

For obvious reasons, money is what the bookies use to tempt the cricketers to betray the game that has given them everything. The Guardian reveals that the fixers are ready to pay US$5,000 to $150,000 to attract the cricketers.

Any more fixing-prone area?

Not only the international circuit, the bookies are now fixing their gaze on the micro-competitions which are held in the middle-east regions, and features many recently retired well-known international superstars. Not only that, they are also shifting their attention to women’s cricket and age-level cricketing circuit. Given their financial status, the young and budding talents might be vulnerable to the seemingly lucrative offers.