Indian cricketer in eye of spot-fixing storm
Investigation gains momentum after Al Jazeera TV programme
Aformer Indian first class cricketer Robin Morris, who played for Mumbai and Orissa in the Ranji Trophy during the late nineties, is at the centre of a spot-fixing storm following a sting operation conducted by Al Jazeera Television Network.
Al Jazeera TV, through their documentary on corruption in cricket, claimed that Morris, who conducts cricket coaching classes in Mumbai, had admitted to his involvement in bribing a groundsman at Galle last year to alter the pitch during July’s India-Sri Lanka Test match.
The Al Jazeera programme also revealed alleged spot-fixing in a Chennai match between England and India in December 2016 and the Australia-India Test in Ranchi in March 2017.
Morris is currently conducting a cricket coaching camp near Versova Welfare High School and Junior College in Versova, a suburb in Mumbai.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it has launched an investigation following the expose. Alex Marshall, the ICC General Manager, ICC anti-corruption unit, in a statement said: “The ICC has now had the opportunity to view the documentary into corruption in cricket and as we have previously stated, we are taking the contents of the programme and the allegations it has made extremely seriously. A full investigation led by the ICC anticorruption unit, working with full cooperation from all member countries identified in the programme, is now underway to examine each claim made.”
ICC is hoping that the broadcaster would provide unedited portions of the programme. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, in a statement said: “The BCCI has a zero-tolerance approach to any activity or act that brings the game of cricket to disrepute or mars the integrity of the game. The BCCI anti-corruption unit is working closely with the ICC anti-corruption unit on the alleged claims by a television channel.”
Morris had also played in the Indian Cricket League that got embroiled in huge controversies. He was employed with Bharat Petroleum, but had quit his job recently stating that he did not want to work full time.
Former England captain Michael Atherton, through his column for an English daily, wrote that it is unlikely that top Test players would engage in such activity given the risks to their careers. “When it comes to betting and fixing, dangers are ever-present. There is a massive black-market operation in India worth many billions of pounds,” he wrote.
England board backs players
With the England team also mentioned in the sting, their board has backed their players saying that there is no evidence to doubt their players. Al Jazeera claims that an undercover reporter had spent 18 months — posing as a businessman and filmed criminal gangs involved in spot-fixing with a hidden camera on how they allegedly paid professional cricketers to fix matches.