tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post5526933862454385761..comments2024-03-28T03:56:27.275-07:00Comments on The Old Batsman: Fitted upThe Old Batsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14376172807195747856noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-58930273293733469312010-05-31T00:54:06.162-07:002010-05-31T00:54:06.162-07:00This is what makes cricket interesting - not match...This is what makes cricket interesting - not match fixing - but the psychology of a group and herd mentality. The stampede! <br /><br />A group who are under some stress and have plenty of time together to infect the others with either fear or great confidence will often produce a strange result as detailed in OB's post. There are very many instances of this particularly in cricket.<br /><br />As for Andre Nel, he was playing agaist his former county. That is a great incentive.Patriciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08687355969428943346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-12992610894412338162010-05-28T19:48:09.278-07:002010-05-28T19:48:09.278-07:00I'm still hoping somebody will come up with ev...I'm still hoping somebody will come up with evidence that England's matches were fixed in the 1990s, especially the ones against Australia.Tim Newmanhttp://www.desertsun.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-57029455282632782562010-05-28T15:40:14.628-07:002010-05-28T15:40:14.628-07:00@ Anon,
I believe you are right about betting pat...@ Anon,<br /><br />I believe you are right about betting patterns giving some evidence, there have been recent high profile incidents in Snooker and Tennis, and for that matter some fairly low key football matches in parts of Europe.<br /><br />As you suggested yourself, in cricket it seems to be underground illegal bookmakers that is the real problem, they are not going to report unusual betting patterns. <br /><br />This is why there will be rumours, but no evidence. The only real evidence is the approaches to the players.<br /><br />@ OB, <br /><br />I can well believe people thinking they threw games down there, the obvious one when Mohammad Yousuf's captaincy chucked away (I think it was) the 2nd test, a cynical view of anyone who witnessed that would be that they threw it.<br /><br />I think it was more down to incompetence as well, but as you said yourself you can never really tell, and it's easy to see why people come to these conclusions.Dean @ Cricket Betting Bloghttp://www.cricketbettingblog.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-91117687746438729552010-05-28T03:58:52.743-07:002010-05-28T03:58:52.743-07:00I agree to a certain extent, but it's also pos...I agree to a certain extent, but it's also possible - and more usual - to catch match fixers by monitoring unusual betting patterns. Certainly this has been the case in tennis, snooker and horse racing, where the advent of betting exchanges has, surprisingly, made it easier to catch cheats.<br /><br />Of course in cricket those patterns may not be that easy to monitor, given that much of the betting may be done through illegal foreign channels.<br /><br />And a small side note: is there some irony in the telegraph trumpeting claims of match fixing when there was quite a bit of sleight of hand going on in its cricket coverage last year...<br /><br />http://mediastandardstrust.blogspot.com/2009/07/case-of-missing-journalists.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-50589928081841490582010-05-28T00:11:10.901-07:002010-05-28T00:11:10.901-07:00Thanks Sid. Dean, was having a conversation the ot...Thanks Sid. Dean, was having a conversation the other day with an Australian fan who was utterly convinced Pakistan had thrown matches on the tour down there. I tend towards the cock-up theory, but it sort of proves the point that it's impossible to know unless someone tells you. That of course feeds the media frenzy, as you say.The Old Batsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14376172807195747856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-41977481081693877352010-05-27T13:51:03.975-07:002010-05-27T13:51:03.975-07:00Yeah, I see where you are coming from OB.
How ma...Yeah, I see where you are coming from OB. <br /><br />How many people have the ICC Corruption Unit found guilty over the years? I don't know for a fact, but I'd guess not too many.<br /><br />Same thing in football, brown paper bags passed under tables don't leave a paper trail. Only under cover stings can usually catch people, and they always look suspicious. <br /><br />Dare I say, for example, Pakistan had been involved in a match like one of the above you mentioned, people would be screaming from the rooftops that it is match fixing.<br /><br />And I do believe, there has been talk that the Test they lost in Austrlia at Christmas was match fixing. <br /><br />Could it be that Pakistan were just totally awful on the last day of that match, that they choked?<br /><br />Same as County Cricket can quite often throw up mad results because of the lack of top class players.<br /><br />The thing that annoys me the most is the way it is portrayed in the press. <br /><br />There is a massive difference in <i>match fixing</i> and <i>spot betting</i>. The sports news just keeps on reporting it as match fixing, which to me is not strictly true.<br /><br />While it isn't right that some bookmaker in India might ask a county bowler to bowl 2 wides in his 5th over, it is not fixing the result of the match (although it could affect the result). <br /><br />I'm not denying something may go on, or trying to play down it's importance, as it needs to be sorted (how you sort it, if at all, is another matter). <br /><br />But the way it is reported in the press, they would have you believe most games are as stage managed as WWE wrestling.Dean @ Cricket Betting Bloghttp://www.cricketbettingblog.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-82740538978715688892010-05-27T01:34:31.528-07:002010-05-27T01:34:31.528-07:00Very good points, my friend, as usual.Very good points, my friend, as usual.Siddershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00683584536177433003noreply@blogger.com