Three international Tests were fixed by bookmakers, claims a sting investigation

In the last couple of years, at least three international Test matches, featuring the Indian cricket team have been fixed, claims a recent investigative sting operation carried out by Doha based TV channel Al Jazeera. The operation was spearheaded by journalist David Harrison, who posed in front of the accused culprits as a businessman interested in bookmaking and fixing international matches.

The channel has shared their exclusive footage of the operation with a leading Indian media house, and the complete video can be seen online on Sunday, May 27 at 3.30 PM IST. But from the clips, it could be understood how the bookmakers can decide the events of certain sessions or outcome of entire matches by bringing in the players and ground officials into the equation.

The accused culprit of this particular incident is a Mumbai-based former Indian first-class cricketer, an Indian advertisement executive based in UAE and the D-Company, along with pitch curators and international cricketers. Together, they scripted the results on three different occasions that we know of.

Three Tests fixed

India vs England Test played in Chennai (December 16-20, 2017) was one of the matches. Three English players have been accused of fixing sessions in this match, but as of yet, they have denied all such charges. The Australia Test in Ranchi which was played between March 16-20, 2017 and the Sri Lanka Test in July 26-29, 2017 are the other two occasions.

Two Australians have been accused for the Ranchi Test and the Galle pitch curator, Tharanga Indika, is under the scanner for the latter as none of the Indian player’s name has come up in the documentary. But the huge first innings total of 600 amassed by India during the July match was a result of pitch-doctoring supervised by Indika, the video claims. Australians are yet to give any reaction to these revelations.

Other players mentioned to be involved in spot-fixing on different matches are Pakistan’s Hasan Raza, who is also the youngest player to play a Test match, and Sri Lanka’s Dilhara Lokuhettige, Jeevantha Kulatunga and Tharindu Mendis.

The sting operation brings forward the disturbing fact that how easily and smoothly the racket of bookmakers function, and how confident the orchestrators of the fixing incidents are about their own success. In the clip, a certain Aneel Munawar, referred to as Munawar Bhai repeatedly, claims that, “Each script I will give you, will happen, happen and happen.”

Watch Al Jazeera’s report (Video posted by Hindustan Times)