A Series of Scandalous in the Crickets World – Part I
Cricket is supposed to be the game of a group of gentlemen. It was originally a game for English aristocrats where players are supposed to carry themselves in a graceful and fair manner. There will certainly be no bodily throwing, cheating, sledging, battling, or over-appealing. In fact, in a case where the batsman was expected to be out, but the umpire ignored the decision, the presumption is that the gentlemen should walk for the dignity of the game. The issue is that the modern world never upholds these values. Particularly after money has become part of the equation. In the long and complicated history of cricket, there have been many incidents and disputes that have taken sport to its heart.
Cricket has undergone several match-fixing controversies, violent moments between teams, impudent methods, and even assassination. With a new controversy popping up every couple of years, it is not going
to be long before we have additional incidents to attach to the record. This article will include a concise overview of ten of the most scandalous and important cases that have plagued sport in modern times.
John the Bookmaker
In 1994-95, Australian cricketers Shane Warne and Mark Waugh were found negotiating with an Indian bookie using the alias “John the Bookmaker.” In return for cash, the two men supplied John with details on pitch and conditions. Waugh was granted $4,000, while Warne was granted $5,000. The Australian Cricket Board was charged personally, although then the case was withdrawn. The explanation the board decided to brush the crimes under the rug was that Warne and Waugh suspected Pakistani captain Saleem Malik of attempting to pay them to throw matches.
When the details concerning John the Bookmaker comes out, it might destroy their reputation as witnesses. In 1998, the newspapers discovered the news and made known their conclusions. The Australian Cricket Board and the two people were shot by both the press and the public. Most thought that the ACB was much more lenient with the penalty, and that the absence of punishment was a shame. Additional inquiries and reviews have taken place, but no further action has been initiated against the two cricketers.
Death of Bob Woolmer
Bob Woolmer was a well-known figure in the cricket community. He was a cricketer, a qualified pundit, and a mentor. In 2007, he managed the Pakistan National Team at the Cricket World Cup. Pakistan had just endured a stunning loss at the hands of Ireland at the championship, so Bob Woolmer returned to his Kingston, Jamaica, hotel room.
A few hours after the failure, Bob Woolmer was found dead in the house. The original presumption was that the fifty-eight-year-old man probably died of a heart attack. However, further investigation found that the head coach, Bob Woolmer, was allegedly strangled to death. Scotland Yard Investigators have come to help the Jamaican authorities in investigating the crime, but little progress has been made. To this day, the demise of Bob Woolmer remains a mystery.
2010 Pakistani Match Fixing
In 2010, a newspaper columnist for the News of the World paper wanted to correct a section of the England vs. Pakistan test series. The reporter was able to convince three of Pakistan’s players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammed Asif – to set particular moments in the match, with the aim of making bets on those exact moments.
Like clockwork, Mohammad Amir bowed three consecutive no-balls in the final test of the season, just as they had expected. The Scottish Yard police then prosecuted the pair, and they were charged before the English trial. Jail sentences were handed down to all three people, plus a fourth called Mazhar Majeed for his involvement in the scandal. Next, the International Cricket Council weighed in and placed 80 matches that the men had recently played on a list of highly questionable performances. The ICC also handed down sanctions, barring Ass for ten years, Asif for seven years , and Amir for five years.
