Ways of fixing matches.1)fancy fixing, 2)Spot Fixing

Pakistan’s players are once again in the spotlight for doing something they have been known for during the past 14 years or so. Although, Indian, South African and even West Indian players have been caught for fixing matches over the years but it is Pakistan cricket that has suffered the most.

Match fixing has devastated Pakistan cricket to the maximum degree in the past and now it has once again gripped young and some older Pakistani cricketers as at least seven of the players were caught doing a form of fixing match at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.

When we take a look at the ways and techniques which are used to fix matches, there are a total of three ways a player or a mafia can fix matches that the world is aware of.

The first technique is called fancy fixing. This term is used when some predictions are made on the team’s landmarks during the game. A prime example of this way of fixing matches is when bookies or match fixers tell their customers how much the team is going to score after five overs, 10 overs, and vice versa. Such types of fixing also includes batsmen and bowlers’ personal landmarks in the match as how many balls a batsman would take to complete his half century or century and how much wickets a bowler is going to take during the game.

The second form of fixing speaks about doing a specific thing during any match. This technique of fixing matches is called Spot Fixing, for which, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif are under scanner of the Scotland Yard. When we say a player is involved in Spot Fixing, it means that he would commit something which is not going to affect the game’s eventual result but in this way both player and bookies earn huge cash. This is the most used and famous form of fixing matches these days. Bowling No Balls is the easiest way of committing this crime because the bowler doesn’t have to show any signal before doing the mutually understood thing. Mohammad Aamer bowled first ball of the third over and last ball of the tenth over by overstepping the crease in a way that umpire is left with no option but to make a call.

The last but not the least thing that the world of media and cricket lovers is aware of is Match Fixing.

This has been the most used technique of committing crime in the Gentlemen’s Game. In this way, former South African captain Hansie Cronje and their premier opening batsman, Herschelle Gibbs, fixed matches against India in India and Sharjah. India’s former skipper Azharduddin was banned for lifetime after he was found guilty of fixing matches.

The story doesn’t end here as West Indian middle order batsman Marlon Samuels was penalised by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for a year after he admitted to have provided a bookie with information regarding the pitch condition and other important things.

However, it has been Pakistani players that have made the biggest headlines across the world. Pakistan’s former captain Saleem Malik and former fast bowler Atta-ur-Rehman were banned for lifetime while Wasim Akram, Waqar Younus, Ijaz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Inzamam-ul-Haq’s name was also highlighted in the scandal. A judicial commission barred Wasim Akram from any important position at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after finding him culprit of the match fixing.

As mentioned above, Spot Fixing is the most commonly methodology used by the bookies and match fixers these days and Pakistani cricketers also used this methodology but it doesn’t mean that cricketers from other countries are not doing such things. India has been the main source of match fixing over the years and the involvement of Indian cricketers in this scandal can’t be ruled out as they have lost some key matches in recent times from a position where nobody could have imagined their defeats.