Fixing the scourge of betting

The re-surfacing of the match-fixing menace during the Test series between Pakistan and England is bound to raise several questions about whether the World Cup scheduled for February-March this year could remain unaffected by its influence.

The problem calls for comprehensive, combative action from two different sides: One, from the initiator, which is the bookmaker angle and two from the executor, which is the cricketer angle.

Unprecedented betting is likely during the World Cup. Some estimates say that every match involving any of the 6 top teams could see betting worth anywhere between Rs300-Rs500 crore, with the figures increasing in the later stages of the tournament. While one can only hope that this betting does not result in match-fixing, the possibility can’t be wished away. 

In India, considering our security concerns, the problem gets even more complicated as there is no way to ensure that the supposed betting money isn’t being routed in the country, through the hawala (illicit money transfers), for terror activities.

This is where the Indian government ought to have shown more foresight. There is little to justify why cricket betting should not be legalised, other than an outdated socialist mindset. In fact, the Delhi High Court in a recent ruling advocated this point of view rather strongly. Considering the sums of money involved in betting, even if legalising the act brings only a fraction to official records, the amount it would provide to the public exchequer by way of taxes will be humungous.

But legalising of bets is no foolproof way to ensure that match-fixing will not take place. What it will do is provide a mechanism to track the ‘betted’ money, a big percentage of which is illegal. Considering that India’s security concerns cannot be de-linked from the flow of unaccounted money into the country, especially during the World Cup, we have squandered away a golden opportunity.

The players’ angle to the problem, on the other hand is a far more layered one. Nobody knows for certain when the first instance of match-fixing occurred, but it is believed that this existed from the mid-80s onwards, with the Sharjah tournaments acting as a catalyst. In those days, one could blame it upon the poor emoluments given to cricketers. But how can the greed for money justify under-performance now, when most cricketers of any national side are worth astronomical sums?

Two, while match-fixing is common, spot-fixing is rampant. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson recently blamed the ICC for the spot-fixing scandal, saying the world body’s anti-corruption unit is “not really working”.

Three, while the focus of the police and the anti-corruption unit have been on matches involving top sides, ironically it is the matches involving the weaker sides that are known to throw some of the most unexpected results. The betting stakes are the maximum in a match between a top side and a minnow.

For example, let’s say in a Pakistan vs Kenya match, the satta or betting rates on Pakistan winning it is about 25 paise to the rupee, whereas on Kenya winning is Rs8 to the rupee. So a person investing Rs1,000 on Pakistan winning will make Rs1250 if Pakistan wins. However, a person putting Rs1,000 on Kenya winning will make Rs8,000 if Kenya wins. It is obvious how much more profitable betting on the weaker side winning is, notwithstanding its low probability. Such matches need stricter scrutiny.

Four, the role of umpires in fixing matches is underestimated. Umpires can and have altered the outcome of several matches and at least one international umpire has been indicted for his involvement in match-fixing.

What the ICC has done on match-fixing is grossly inadequate. At least our government, keeping in mind the country’s security concerns and to recover the amount lost in CWG scam, ought to legalise cricket betting before the World Cup. At this stage, one will have to be overly optimistic to hope that this World Cup will remain unaffected by the sport’s underbelly.