Pakistan cricket team at centre of alleged match-fixing controversy


Controversy: Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are tow of the bowlers implicated in the alleged match-fixing Photo: REUTERS
Mazhar Majeed, a 35-year-old London-based businessman, has been accused of accepting £150,000 from an undercover journalist in return for telling Pakistan fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif to deliberately bowl three no-balls last Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday night, a 35 year-old man was arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.
Video footage of the meeting between the News of the World reporter, who was posing as part of an Asian gambling syndicate, and Majeed shows the man accepting the money and insisting that the three no-balls “have been organised” with the Pakistan team.
“This is exactly what’s going to happen, you’re going to see these three things happen,” Majeed said. “I’m telling you, if you play this right you’re going to make a lot of money, believe me.”
Amir and Asif did bowl three no-balls at the times specified by Majeed: Amir’s first ball of the third over and Asif’s sixth ball of the 10th over last Thursday, and the third ball of Amir’s third over on Friday. On each occasion, the bowlers overstepped the crease by a significant margin.
On Saturday Pakistan were teetering on the brink of defeat, still trailing England by 331 runs with six wickets remaining in their second innings
Majeed’s allegations about corrupt behaviour within the Pakistan squad also extended to other senior squad members. He claimed up to seven players could be 'bought’ for cash.
“I’ve been doing it [match-fixing] with them for about two-and-a-half years and we’ve made masses of money,” Majeed said.
“I manage 10 of the players, I do all their affairs like contracts, sponsorship, marketing, everything really. The players would never tell anybody else. They were the ones who actually approached me about this.
“This is the beauty of it. I was friends with them for four, five years and then they said this happens. I said: 'Really?’
“These poor boys need to [do this]. They’re paid peanuts.”
Majeed, a property tycoon who lives in Surrey and has a controlling stake in non-league football club Croydon FC, also claimed that Pakistan’s one-day international games involving England had also been earmarked for rigging.
Pakistan are due to play five 50-over games between Sept 5 and Sept 22, together with two Twenty20 internationals. The Pakistani team manager, Yawar Saeed last night confirmed that the allegations were being investigated, but there was no official comment.
There is no suggestion that the result of the Lord’s Test has been fixed or that any England players have been guilty of any wrongdoing.
The England camp were reported to be expecting play to go ahead today as scheduled.
However, if proven, the claims will cast a huge shadow over the perceived integrity of world cricket, and Pakistan in particular.
The sport in Pakistan is already in turmoil as no international matches can be staged in the country due to concerns over security. Pakistan must instead play all their games abroad,.
Pakistan have been at the centre of match-fixing claims before, most notably in 2000 when former captain Saleem Malik and medium-pacer Ata-ur-Rehman were found guilty of fixing.
A tribunal recommended life bans for the pair, although Rehman was made available for selection in 2006 and Malik’s ban was overturned in 2008.
The most infamous instance of match-fixing was former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje receiving money from bookmakers in return for match information. Cronje was given a life ban from the game in 2000.

England v Pakistan: alleged match-fixing a real tragedy for game of cricket


Dirty business: secretly-filmed footage appears to show Mazhar Majeed discussing a bribe to fix the fourth Test Photo: SKY NEWS/NOTW
Pakistan have been this way before — their Qayyum Inquiry into match-fixing was damning when it was published in the summer of 2000 — but that was in a time of peace in the country. This latest incident has occurred when the country’s cricket team can only play abroad because of the security situation, and only makes a sad situation tragic.
The facts are that in the first three Tests of this series, Mohammed Amir bowled three no-balls in 105 overs. In the Lord’s Test he bowled 28 overs with four no-balls.
Throughout yesterday Pakistan played as if something was amiss, especially when they batted. Their batting had improved substantially in the Oval Test a week ago, but in only two sessions they lost 14 wickets - a disintegration even by their own mercurial standards.
It had been widely assumed that match-fixing in cricket had been largely eradicated after heat was turned on various players in 2000, notably the Pakistanis identified by Justice Qayyum’s investigation, and the Indians identified by their Central Bureau of Investigation.
But it all seemed much too like a cosy deduction that suited all concerned. No more questions were to be asked by investigators.
The only upshots of note were that the International Cricket Council set up their Anti Corruption and Security Unit and appointed regional officers who lectured young players in the dangers of becoming involved in match-fixing.
But some older players who had been involved escaped the net and lived to fix another day. The game within the game also became more subtle. Instead of fixing results, as happened in the heyday of the 1990s, attention turned to fixing incidents within a match — often of a minor nature, but equally lucrative and insidious, because small events can still influence the result.
Bowling a no-ball in the first over of a game was 'standard practice’, or a wicketkeeper allowing a ball in the first over to go for four byes. A change of batting gloves, or a signal made during a drinks interval, would be enough to confirm the deal between on-field players and the illegal bookmakers or punters.
This crisis, which it will be if the allegations are proven, can be seen as a direct result of the game’s authorities not clamping down much harder when match-fixing was brought into the daylight ten years ago. The ICC were content with the bans imposed by India and Pakistan on their players, while plenty of other players with doubts against their names — from other countries — were allowed to stay and pollute.
The ICC’s regional security officers are few and thin on the ground. The declared practice is for one of them to attend every international match: the officer then keeps an eye on the players’ dressing-rooms, arranges for a close-circuit television camera to monitor comings and goings, and makes sure the players and coaches do not use mobile phones in the course of the day.
But there were many loopholes in the security arrangements for this year’s Edgbaston Test for a start. The old pavilion had been demolished to make way for the construction of a new one, and the temporary dressing-rooms were next to the media centre and a corridor that any hospitality guest could use.
It is understood that a key figure in the News of the World allegations had access to this corridor and the media centre during the second Test at Edgbaston between England and Pakistan.
This routine is clearly insufficient, even at the best of times and at the securest of venues. The ICC has to monitor what is happening on the field of play as well inside and outside the players’ dressing-rooms.
Sudden changes in scoring-rates for example have to be monitored, and the incidence of wides and no-balls — especially no-balls delivered when the bowler oversteps the popping crease by a large margin.
When Lord Condon became the first head of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, his initial report argued that there was far too much cricket played — and that the more international cricket there was, the greater the danger of infiltration by illegal bookmakers and punters.
This remains just as true today.
In addition, the link with Indian television has become all the more perilous. Most of the illegal bookmaking is carried out in India, partly to avoid taxation and service the black economy.
In April this year the Essex police announced there were investigating 'match irregularities’ involving the Pakistani legspinner Danish Kaneria and the fast bowler Mervyn Westfield. Kaneria was in Pakistan’s Test party until after the first Test.
Both players have to appear before Essex police on September 15.

Endhiran beats James Bond !



Endhiran beats James Bond !






Shankar's magnum-opus Endhiran has already broken many records. If, for a first, the music was launched in Malaysia, the songs of Endhiran were top-sellers in Apple's iStore in two days' time. Being the costliest Indian movie ever, Endhiran now has another feather in his cap. The song "Kilimanjaro" from the Endhiran album is a big hit. Sung by Javed Ali and Chinmayee, this song has been shot in the Machu Pichu mountain range. Situated in Peru, this Lost land of the Incas is one of the wonders of the world.

Now if you are wondering what is the connection with James Bond, read along. Machu Pichu is a UNESCO World heritage site and attracts a lot of tourists from around the world. A request to shoot the James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace' was turned down, a couple of years back, as the place is rarely used for shooting. Now aren't we proud that Endhiran has been shot in the same place where no commercial film has ever been filmed before? That’s how you beat James Bond round and square!

Vanessa Hudgens Bikini Shots





Vanessa Hudgens hit the beach in a bikini to splash around and have some fun over the weekend. She looks great.
Vanessa is starting to loosen up and get sexy again. After that whole nude picture scandal a little while back she seemed to close herself off and was a lot more conservative. Now that seems to be in the past and she is wearing hot outfits and bikinis again.

Kaushalya Udayangani latest photo shoot

21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)

dilni samudika dodangodadilni+sri+lanka
"My target is to try my best to model on a runway and I want to b a good fashion designer. I have one brother and doing latin dancing." said Dilini to SLS. This young girl's hobbies are dancing, reading, drawing, surfing the net and spending time with his friends.
dilni samudikadilni samudika
21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)
21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)
21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)
21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)
21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)
21 year old Dilni Samudika Dodangoda (aka Ddi)


duminda nawarathnePhotographed by Duminda Nawarathne

Duminda Nawarathne is one of the Professional photographer in Sri Lanka. This copyrighted materials own by Duminda Nawarathne. Distribution, editing and display without owners permission is prohibited.

Duminda Nawarathne +94 777256257

Kollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo Shoot

aksha sudriKollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo ShootKollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo Shoot
Kollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo ShootKollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo Shoot
Kollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo ShootKollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo ShootKollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo Shoot
Kollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo ShootKollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo ShootKollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo Shoot
Kollywood Sinhala Actress Aksha Sudri Eye-Catching Photo Shootaksha sudri

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Fashion Continental HotelIro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bariresha manojani fashions

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist BarIro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist BarIro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist BarIro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist BarIro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist BarIro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist Bar

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Iro Lankatilaka, Judy Muller, Karen Keil and Tania Deen at Heist BarPhotographed by Nadun Udayanga

Nadun Udayanga is one of the Professional photographer in Sri Lanka. This copyrighted materials own by Nadun Udayanga. Distribution, editing and display without owners permission is prohibited.

Nadun Udayanga +94 715747708