Spot Fixing?

[SaintPowelly]

3) Is the non-selection of players like Michael Carberry, Ravi Bopara and Ajmal Shahzad linked to Britain's colonial past in the subcontinent and the Caribbean?

Only if you discount Gladstone Small, Nasser Hussain, Saj Mahmood etc. what makes you play the race card here Mike? Let alone being off topic in a major way.

It would explain why Michael Carberry didnt get picked ahead of Cook in any of the tests.

[gollygosh]

We also need to consider that while most of those implicated in spot-fixing are Pakistanis, other players from other coutnires have been implicated in the past, including Marlon Samuels from Jamaica and Australians Shane Warne and Mark Waugh. Does this also raise questions about the social and political cultures of Jamaica and Australia?

Shane Warne and Mark Waugh gave Pitch reports to "John the Bookie" - no more and certainly no less. As a result they were fined by Cricket Australia (an inadequate response in my view) and SKW had his card marked - never to captain Australia. So yes, Im damn happy to say it does say something about the social and political culture of Australia.

[gollygosh]

And as for donations to Pakistan following the floods, Pakistan governmental corruption has little to do with the poor response. As in the case of Haiti, most donations would go thru UN agencies and charities, and little of it would actually be controlled by the Pakistan government. No, the reason why the UN has had such a problem in getting the international community to donate this time has more to do with Pakistan being Muslim, and being demonised in the world press, as the US tries to find an excuse why their campaign is failing in Afghanistan....

I am basing my comment re: the slowness of donations from countries to the Pakistan emergency on interviews and comments made by representatives of UNICEF, World Vision, Medicin Sans Frontiere here in Australia - not on some politico/religious belief system

[sussexpob]

We also need to consider that while most of those implicated in spot-fixing are Pakistanis, other players from other coutnires have been implicated in the past, including Marlon Samuels from Jamaica and Australians Shane Warne and Mark Waugh. Does this also raise questions about the social and political cultures of Jamaica and Australia?

Shane Warne and Mark Waugh gave Pitch reports to "John the Bookie" - no more and certainly no less. As a result they were fined by Cricket Australia (an inadequate response in my view) and SKW had his card marked - never to captain Australia. So yes, Im damn happy to say it does say something about the social and political culture of Australia.

Golly,

Do you really believe that English and Australians never throw matches, and when they do get organised with bookmakers its only to give pitch information? Or is this selective reporting or investigation, centring around the unfair assumption that Pakistan are morally more corrupt than Western Countries.

I think what Mike was saying was inferring is true. That Asian countries are assumed to do this more, and when allegations are made, the idea that they are moral more bankrupt leads to more arrested and harder persuance.... and this in turn leads to the false assumption that they are worse at it.

I bet the truth is that every team has done it in the recent past.

[SaintPowelly]

I bet the truth is that every team has done it in the recent past.

Thats your opinion, whereas with Pakistan it is more of an educated guess based on the controversies they have been involved in for a few years now

[Mr Popodopolous]

for once I can't see the subcon cartel voting down the others.

Not sure what that has to do with anything- it's been quite common for us, Australia, New Zealand all to vote the same way. Voting blocs are common place.

[D/L]

When considering which teams’ players are more likely than others’ to conspire in this form of gambling, one needs to take into account where these types of bets are more likely to be made.

I doubt I would be able to go into Ladbroke’s and have them accept a bet that the first ball of the third over, for example, would be a no-ball, for example. This type of bet, however, is widely accepted in parts of the world where gambling is illegal and where there is TV coverage of the matches on which the bets are placed.

Another factor is how well international cricketers are paid. It is understandable that when they are paid poorly compared to their counterparts in other teams, that there will be a stronger temptation to lend their services to the people fixing the events.

[ddb]

4000 for man of the series seems so little in today's age.

[SaintPowelly]

Although they aren't on Tendulkar or Dhoni money, they are still paid more than enough money to live on.

[sussexpob]

Although they aren't on Tendulkar or Dhoni money, they are still paid more than enough money to live on.

Wonder if the complete snub of Pakistan players in the IPL auction caused this a little.... after all, its stopping Pakistan's best players earning the highest level, and they were word champion quality before that Auction!

[ddb]

Yes and if Pakistan players did play in the IPL, we'd have about 2000 more problems to deal with, especially at government level.

[GordoninPortsmouth]

Although they aren't on Tendulkar or Dhoni money, they are still paid more than enough money to live on.

Wonder if the complete snub of Pakistan players in the IPL auction caused this a little.... after all, its stopping Pakistan's best players earning the highest level, and they were word champion quality before that Auction!

Quite possibly...It certainly crossed my mind...but thats not much of an excuse is it?

[GordoninPortsmouth]

for once I can't see the subcon cartel voting down the others.

Not sure what that has to do with anything- it's been quite common for us, Australia, New Zealand all to vote the same way. Voting blocs are common place.

That was in response to me Mr Pops.

We all know that anything important at ICC level can be carried either for or against by the subcon cartel voting in one particular way. That could yet easily see all of this matching fixing accusations swept under the carpet IMO.

I remain sceptical Pak cricket will have to bear any pain for this from the ICC because at the end of the day Pak's vote is too important to the retaining the subcon cartels numerical supremacy over the white countries bloc. And when all is said and done that is more important to all the countries of the ICC than even an issue as shaming as match fixing.

Pathetic I know but I think that is the political reality.

[Dimi]

This really takes the biscuit for 'journalism'

http://dailymailnews.com/0910/01/FrontPage/index1.php

[SaintPowelly]

This really takes the biscuit for 'journalism'

http://dailymailnews.com/0910/01/FrontPage/index1.php

Whoever wrote that lives in a fantasy world

They'd be better off writing a Harry Potter book