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1996 World Cup semi-final was fixed - Vinod Kambli

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
Watching Azhar on a news channel right now. Rajdeep Sardesai asking him - "Azhar, you are a God fearing man. Do you swear by God that you were never involved in fixing any match". WTF!
 

NasserFan207

International Vice-Captain
Eh, his only evidence seems to be that Azhar decided to bowl first and India lost.

Maybe it was fixed, but thats hardly conclusive.
 

Lostman

State Captain
Eh, his only evidence seems to be that Azhar decided to bowl first and India lost.

Maybe it was fixed, but thats hardly conclusive.
Azhar decided to bowl first because SL were always a chase first team under Ranatunga. This was SL's strength back then, since the bowling only had a very very young Murali and Vaas.

On top of that during the qualifying period when SL played India in India. India batted first made 270 ish, but Jayasuriya and Kalu went bat **** crazy during the chase and absolutely creamed the opening bowlers.(by 1996 standards anyway...) They won the QF against England the same way. Always thought India decided to bowl first because they did not want to play to SL's strengths.
 

nsniks

State Vice-Captain
India news: Team-mates deny Vinod Kambli allegation | India Cricket News | ESPN Cricinfo

A controversy has arisen over a statement made by Vinod Kambli, the former India batsman, that he "doubted" crucial decisions made during the 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka in Kolkata. Several of Kambli's team-mates in that match, including captain Mohammed Azharuddin, and the team manager Ajit Wadekar, have denied the allegations.

Kambli said, in an emotional interview with television channel Star News in India on Thursday, that he "doubted" the semi-final. He said the team had decided at its pre-match meeting to bat first if India won the toss and he had noticed that opener Navjot Sidhu had padded up before the toss, as was his habit, indicating that if India won the toss, he would be batting first.

Kambli then said he was surprised when India decided to field first. The semi-final was abandoned following crowd trouble after India, chasing 252, were 120 for 8 - they were 98 for 1 at one stage - with Kambli unbeaten on 10. Kambli said in the interview that he would never forget the match because his career had ended after that game. "This ended my career. I was dropped from the team, I was made the scapegoat," he said. Kambli was not available for comment following his TV interview.

Saba Karim, the former India wicketkeeper who also appeared on the programme, told ESPNcricinfo that he had reminded Kambli that his career did not end then. "I said to him, Vinod, you played for India after that, we played together in Canada." After the World Cup semi-final on March 13, 1966, Kambli played 35 ODIs for India.

Azharuddin, appearing on CNN-IBN, sought to dismiss Kambli's allegations. "Absolutely rubbish. [He] doesn't know what he is talking about." Azharuddin said a "team decision" to field first was made at a meeting where, "Everyone was there, including the manager. Kambli must have been sleeping during the team meeting." He said that after a discussion India had decided to field first. He conceded there were different points of view at the meeting but said the final decision was taken collectively.

Azharuddin was handed a life ban by the BCCI in 2000 after a federal inquiry found him guilty of match-fixing. He denied the charges and is awaiting judgement on a suit filed by him.

Sanjay Manjrekar, another member of that team, also sought to dismiss the allegation on Twitter. "1996 world cup semi-final - The decision to field first may have turned out to be a wrong decision but it was an honest cricketing decision."

Ajit Wadekar, who also spoke to Kambli on Star News on Thursday night, said the decision to field first had been based on the Sri Lankan team's excellent record at chasing scores at the World Cup. "The entire team felt that the Sri Lanka players were good chasers. Hence, the team felt that if India fielded first, Sri Lanka could be easily defeated. In the team meeting before the match it was decided that India would field in the event of winning the toss. The decision was taken after consultation with the entire team."

Former national selector Venkatapathy Raju, who also played that match, said that in the meeting Navjot Sidhu was the only person who believed they should have been batting first because the wicket was dry. Raju, speaking to Star News, called it "surprising" that Kambli was claiming this after 15 years.
 

NasserFan207

International Vice-Captain
Azhar decided to bowl first because SL were always a chase first team under Ranatunga. This was SL's strength back then, since the bowling only had a very very young Murali and Vaas.

On top of that during the qualifying period when SL played India in India. India batted first made 270 ish, but Jayasuriya and Kalu went bat **** crazy during the chase and absolutely creamed the opening bowlers.(by 1996 standards anyway...) They won the QF against England the same way. Always thought India decided to bowl first because they did not want to play to SL's strengths.
Makes sense to me.

Fixing a world cup semi sounds seriously ******** anyway. What would be the point? A ****load more risk and possible exposure, for the same amount of cash.
 

nsniks

State Vice-Captain
Azhar decided to bowl first because SL were always a chase first team under Ranatunga. This was SL's strength back then, since the bowling only had a very very young Murali and Vaas.

On top of that during the qualifying period when SL played India in India. India batted first made 270 ish, but Jayasuriya and Kalu went bat **** crazy during the chase and absolutely creamed the opening bowlers.(by 1996 standards anyway...) They won the QF against England the same way. Always thought India decided to bowl first because they did not want to play to SL's strengths.
Agree with this, SL were damn good at that time chasing totals
 

G.I.Joe

International Coach
Even Azhar wouldn't have been stupid enough to deliberately lose that match. It was a semi-Final, in a World Cup at home, and he was the skipper. One would have to be completely bereft of dreams or ambition to pawn away such an opportunity.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Even Azhar wouldn't have been stupid enough to deliberately lose that match. It was a semi-Final, in a World Cup at home, and he was the skipper. One would have to be completely bereft of dreams or ambition to pawn away such an opportunity.
Can you really say that with 100% certainty given Azhar's subsequent conviction?
 

G.I.Joe

International Coach
Can you really say that with 100% certainty given Azhar's subsequent conviction?
I'm saying this with prior knowledge of his conviction. His team-mates and manager at the time disagree with his claim that it was a surprise to have fielded first too. And fielding first wasn't a guarantee of a loss anyway.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
I have had my suspicions on Azhar and Jadeja and any game they have played for India but this is really silly. No one has any evidence and this is just pure speculation. Innocent till proven guilty and all that. Juz think Kambli wants to be "trending" again. :)
 

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