Should make for interesting reading ...

"FROM THE EDITOR
The not-so Gentleman's Game
Rob Peters


We all remember the day Hansie Cronje was accused of match-fixing. None of us wanted to believe it, hell, some of us still don't. But if you think match-fixing stopped with 'HansieGate', think again, after having read the book 'Caught Out' last week, it seems to me that it is bigger than ever…


Thoroughly researched, captivating and ultimately quite shocking, 'Caught Out', written by Laurie A. Claase, will probably have you wishing by the end of it, that you never actually read it… Because after digesting comments from players, journalists, coaches and administrators — past and present — you will begin to wonder if any matches are actually contests anymore.

I do not consider myself to be naïve, but I have to admit I was shocked to see exactly how big gambling on cricket is. I am well aware that it is there, just like every other sport, but the 'Gentleman's Game'? Claase went digging for answers and uncovered a cesspool of illegal betting, match-fixing and lies. But you get the feeling she did not have to dig very deep before she found it — there were plenty of role-players to call on for answers.

What makes the book so unnerving is its credibility. This is not just the conspiratorial ramblings of a journo seeking a few book sales, but rather the fruits of an investigation that sought to uncover exactly how deep match-fixing runs in the sport. And it is clear that it runs deep. Punters bet on everything from runs scored, the result and even to who opens the bowling!

Umpires, journalists, players, coaches — all have had dealing with the bookies. Cronje and former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin may be two of the more high-profile cricketers to be 'named and shamed', but after reading the book it is pretty obvious they were not alone. There is doubt over the credibility of any number of big names…

Claase, a self-confessed fan of the game, removes herself emotionally and takes all involved to task. She uncovers evidence against the game's superpowers, delves into the multi-billion dollar illegal network which is seemingly running cricket in the sub-continent, 'the fix' is explained in great detail, and finally we are given a point-by-point rundown of the death of former South African and Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer earlier this year.

'Caught Out', at times, reads like a Hollywood suspense thriller, with shady bookies circulating behind the scenes with some of the game's most powerful figures, in a world governed by money and run by criminals, further illustrating just how far the game seems to have fallen.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) does not seem overly concerned with the state of the game, but after reading this book I am more than just concerned…"

Hmm, I've often wondered how many respected names were as guilty as Hansie Cronje, but simply never got caught - or had their indiscretions swept under the table by cover-ups...

mynah wrote:Hmm, I've often wondered how many respected names were as guilty as Hansie Cronje, but simply never got caught - or had their indiscretions swept under the table by cover-ups...

Many, I would suspect mynah. And it just shows how useless the ICC's much touted Corruption Watchdog (that stoopid pommy git whose name escapes me) really was/is. If a journo can uncover huge amounts of evidence, why can't the ICC. Cos they are just so p!ssweak.

mynah wrote:Hmm, I've often wondered how many respected names were as guilty as Hansie Cronje, but simply never got caught - or had their indiscretions swept under the table by cover-ups...

Perhaps they were all within the ICC's corruption tolerance level of 14.9 degrees.

skully wrote:

mynah wrote:Hmm, I've often wondered how many respected names were as guilty as Hansie Cronje, but simply never got caught - or had their indiscretions swept under the table by cover-ups...

Many, I would suspect mynah. And it just shows how useless the ICC's much touted Corruption Watchdog (that stoopid pommy git whose name escapes me) really was/is. If a journo can uncover huge amounts of evidence, why can't the ICC. Cos they are just so p!ssweak.

Lord Condon , Skullmeister

...and perhaps because the book can take rumour and innuendo as fact ...and the corruption watchdog has a higher burden of proof

Cheers for the dude's name MB, and yeah, I was gonna put a rider on my rant "assuming that what has been written is true".

I think thats why match fixing is such a scourge, you could look at any game any wicket any player and convince yourself that the fix was in.

But in reality if this book had actual hard evidence of matches that were fixed or players that were on the take surely we would already know the details?

I dunno pdy, I reckon the authorities just find it all too hard to combat, and in the end, couldn't be bothered. Let's face it, the bookies aren't gonna back off lightly, there's squillions to be made.

Sadly that's probably just about right.

if that is true the biggest victims of course are the 95% of players who give it there all each match.

Would like to see what is really revealed in the book, and whether there really is some hard evidence to go on rather than "a well-known England player, speaking on condition of anonymity" sort of stuff. Perhaps the final proof would be if, in a few months' time, the author is found dead of natural causes in a pool of blood...