Black_Warrior
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There's a storm coming - Another match fixing scandal about to hit cricket
- Thread starter Black_Warrior
- Start date
TheJediBrah
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"In a surface stacked against them, the batsmen were out quickly" - cue video of Mitchell Marsh getting bowled playing a reverse sweep to an innocuous short-of-a-length off-break.
Yep, definitely the pitch's fault that one.
Anyway I'm not really sure how a big deal this is. I mean it was never a secret that those pitches were doctored, people from the Sri Lankan team openly admitted it in the press IIRC, but the fact that there were bookies and betting involved makes it a much more serious issue obviously.
Yep, definitely the pitch's fault that one.
Anyway I'm not really sure how a big deal this is. I mean it was never a secret that those pitches were doctored, people from the Sri Lankan team openly admitted it in the press IIRC, but the fact that there were bookies and betting involved makes it a much more serious issue obviously.
cnerd123
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Hmm. How does this go on without SLCB being aware? Don't they have instructions or guidelines for the groundsmen with regards to preparing the pitch, and won't they be aware if those are being gone against? Like, none of the players were taken by surprise by these pitches, so they had adequate knowledge of what was being prepared for them, and either the SLCB knew, or just didn't care, because they never spoke out officially about the pitches.
Which means that the only way these bookies benefited is basically by having inside knowledge on how the pitch will behave before making their bets. And anyone whose friend with any groundsman will have that information too.
If this does blow up to be a big deal, it will probably end in ICC regulations with regards to who national cricket boards controlling the preparation of the pitch more strictly, and possibly some sort of control on who groundsmen can speak to X number of days before a match.
Which means that the only way these bookies benefited is basically by having inside knowledge on how the pitch will behave before making their bets. And anyone whose friend with any groundsman will have that information too.
If this does blow up to be a big deal, it will probably end in ICC regulations with regards to who national cricket boards controlling the preparation of the pitch more strictly, and possibly some sort of control on who groundsmen can speak to X number of days before a match.
IIRC SLC Chairman owns a global betting syndicate. This might go down the rabbit hole.
TheJediBrah
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The pitches being doctored themselves isn't the real issue. That was all part of the plan. I remember them coming and just talking matter-of-factly about the plans, they deliberately gave the tourists a warmup game on a green top against a team full of seam bowlers to minimise their practice against spinners, then planned to prepare a dustbowl for the actual Test match (knowing Australia's weakness in that regard). Presumably this was all on the orders of SLCB or some aspect of it.
If someone is profiting from it illegally, then it's an issue.
Mr Miyagi
Banned
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Mr Miyagi
Banned
At the end of the day, if curators don't provide the pitches they're asked to by the Home Board, they're going to lose their jobs for non-performance anyway.
The real issue is then,
i: not keeping this information a secret until it is public domain (which is normally a few days before the match starts)
ii: selling it for bets to be placed
I would have thought the bookies are rather daft to be offering bets on match duration and high or low scoring, well in advance of the pitch being prepared.
The bookies can actually eliminate the pitch from inside information gambling concerns simply by not taking bets on such things until the day of the match.
The real issue is then,
i: not keeping this information a secret until it is public domain (which is normally a few days before the match starts)
ii: selling it for bets to be placed
I would have thought the bookies are rather daft to be offering bets on match duration and high or low scoring, well in advance of the pitch being prepared.
The bookies can actually eliminate the pitch from inside information gambling concerns simply by not taking bets on such things until the day of the match.
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The Hutt Rec
International Vice-Captain
It's not really match fixing, is it?
Mr Miyagi
Banned
It is if the groundsmen is ignoring the requests for a certain pitch type from the Home Board and just does what he wants and knows of.
Then the groundsmen is manipulating the match and fixing the result.
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harsh.ag
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
That's always a good idea.
The Hutt Rec
International Vice-Captain
? The groundsman is going to have an influence on the result no matter what he does, but it's the same for both sides, and dependent on the toss ... show how is it fixing? Is there an actual edict that he has to do what the Board says? ... personally I find that more dodgy than doing your own thing. Certainly I've heard groundsmen in NZ say they pay no attention to what NZC/Blackcaps say about what sort of pitch they want.
Burgey
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I’m old enough to remember a time when groundsmen actually just prepared pitches to the best of their ability given the natural predilections of the surface, rather than the home board dictating what type of pitch gets rolled out.
TheJediBrah
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Different countries are different. NZ have never doctored pitches.
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Someone will be suggesting that the Old Trafford pitch in 1956 was doctored next
trundler
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Could just be patriotic umpiring
No. Arguably it's something between spot fixing and match fixing -- it's not fixing an isolated incident with no broader ramifications, like the Amir no balls, and nor is it fixing the result of the match, like with Cronje etc. But if the curator is being paid off to intentionally create a minefield or road, for the purpose of gambling on the length of the match, it is some form of fixing/corruption.
I mean, you don't need the groundsmen in your pocket to make big coin by backing a Test involving Australia in the Subcontinent to be over early, but still.