Top International Cricketers Involved In Spot-fixing, Claims AL Jazeera

Al Jazeera Investigative Unit’s latest documentary, Cricket’s Match-Fixers: The Munawar Files, contains recordings of an Indian match-fixer phoning in details of spot-fixes in 15 international matches to a notorious bookmaker. The match-fixer gave a total of 26 predictions, of which all but one turned out to be accurate.

The spot-fixes were all session fixes, predicting what would happen in a specific session of six, eight or 10 overs. Many of the matches involved multiple spot-fixes. In some cases, fixes were delivered by both teams.

Due to the gravity of the accusations and the prospect of criminal investigations, Al Jazeera not, at present, naming the fixed sessions nor the teams perpetrating the fix because that would identify the batsmen suspected of fixing.

The evidence, from 2011 and 2012, points to a small group of England players allegedly carrying out spot-fixes in seven matches; Australia players in five matches; Pakistan players in three, with players from other teams carrying out spot-fixes in one match. In some cases, both teams appear to have delivered a fix.

Spot-fixes affect just a small part of the game and do not determine the overall result.

Al Jazeera has obtained purported recordings of a match-fixer calling in the fixes to a notorious Indian bookmaker linked to the organised crime. He is unaware that the recordings were leaked.

The matches in which fixes were allegedly carried out include England versus India at Lord’s Cricket Ground, South Africa versus Australia in Cape Town and several matches during England’s series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The files suggest that the suspected fixes were usually carried out by batsmen who agreed to underperform. Some of the world’s most famous players were batting when the fixes allegedly occurred.

Many of the matches appear to include multiple fixes, making a total of 26 fixes in the 15 matches.

Twenty-five of the 26 predictions made by Munawar proved to be correct.

A UK-based firm of sports betting analysts said the odds of Munawar accurately predicting 25 of the 26 outcomes without fixing them were 9.2 million to one.

In the recordings, Munawar uses the same methods and language that he used during our undercover investigation in 2016 and 2017, when he gave advance details about alleged fixes in two Test matches in India.

His predictions were accurate in both cases.

Al Jazeera dossier also includes photographs of Munawar and his associates hovering near, and purportedly talking to, international cricket players during the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2012.

There is no suggestion that these players were involved in match-fixing.

Among the players the match-fixer was seen close to is Virat Kohli, now India’s captain and widely regarded as the world’s best cricket player.

Other photographs show Umar Akmal, a Pakistani player, receiving and peering into a bag allegedly given to him by a Munawar associate, though the photographs do not show whether Akmal left with the bag.

Others who appear in the photographs include Andy Bichel, the Australian coach, and senior Indian players including Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Lakshmipathy Balaji.

The ICC claims to have “spotters” at international tournaments to protect players from match-fixers.

The Munawar Files also include a recording of a call allegedly made by Munawar to an unnamed English cricketer, in which they appear to discuss spot-fixing. Munawar could be heard saying he is sending money to the player’s account.

A forensic speech scientist has examined the recording and concluded that it had not been tampered with.

The player believed to be speaking with Munawar denied that the conversation took place and suggested the recording was a fabrication.

The 15 matches in question are: