Fix and play

1. The main racket now is spot-fixing rather than match-fixing. Single events are fixed rather than an entire match. So it is easier to pull off.

2. Spot-fixing can be done with a few crooked players, while match-fixing often involved team captains such as Mohammad Azharuddin or Hansie Cronje.

3. It is no surprise that recent cases of fixing seem to involve bowlers, be it the Pakistanis in 2010 or the Rajasthan Royals cricketers in 2013. A bowler can easily bowl a wide when he wants to; a batsman cannot hit a six on demand, while throwing away one’s wicket puts you out of the game (or even the team).

4. All fixing involves changing the odds. The bookie takes a hit, but it is not clear whether the result of a game changes.

5. Spot-fixing is difficult to catch, unless you are stupid enough to use WhatsApp and BBM for your crooked dealings.

Milestone Alert!
Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!