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In a country starved of sports heroes, Indian fans only expect the best performance. Added to that equally frenzied will be the public gambling, termed locally as satta, and if one goes by the assessments of the police, illegal sport-betting annual volume could even be as high as $40 billion. Betting volumes during a crucial one-day international cricket match, one that could involve India and Pakistan, can exceed $250 million.
Betting estimates for the World Cup, which will see 51 matches played, is more than $4 billion. With the underworld mafia Dons plowing their ill gotten hawala (non banking remittance, money transfers and business transactions) money in this big gambling, the stakes are indeed very high, where an individual could even be eliminated, if he could not be bought. The means have become high-tech with the help of computers, mobile telephones and the Internet, with top underworld dons such as Dawood Ibrahim and others from Mumbai heavily involved in the trade during various times.
Though the Reserve Bank of India has blocked credit-card payments on websites that it believes are fronts for gambling, many illegal Internet forums continue to be operated by prominent bookies that act as intermediaries and are just a search engine away. Punters set up an account with these sites, and instruct them to make bets on their behalf for a fee. Illegal hawala money-transferring channels are also used.
A recent article in the Asia Times online site (atimes.com) attracted my attention to the murky world of betting, match fixing and now murder in the world cup cricket series, where Canada is also a partcipating team.
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Fresh update Mar 29: Sun, a
By Goose Egg, April 7, 2007 at 12:45Fresh update Mar 29: Sun, a British newspaper claimed today that there was an Al Qaeda link to the Pakistan coach's death in his room there. Pakistan-based bookie was thrown out of Woolmer's room after a "blazing row", London's mass circulation tabloid 'The Sun' reported from Jamaica quoting "sources" which it did not identify. The match-fixer is an associate of Dawood Ibrahim, who is wanted in Al Qaeda funding and the Bombay blasts, the daily said. 'Sun' went on to quote "intelligence officials who tour with Indian cricket team" to say that the bookie was at the World Cup in Jamaica with Anees Ibrahim, Dawood's brother. Shields, a former Scotland Yard detective, said that Woolmer had ordered room service sometime between 8 pm and 9 pm on March 17 evening and had sent a final e-mail. Police were still examining his laptop computer and mobile phone for clues. But now with the CCTV footage had been digitally enhanced and "there are some people in the footage that I had met in the week after the murder of Bob Woolmer that I could clearly and easily identify", Shields said. The PCB and the Pakistani Govt. also offered to send their intelligence sleuth should the Jamaican police asks for it but opined that Bob may not have been murdered at all. Why not Indian intelligence rope in Abu Saleem or Babloo Srivastava (already given statement that Indo-Pak betting syndicate to be behind the murder) presetly in Indian custody.
Author's note: The first few
By Goose Egg, April 7, 2007 at 12:42Author's note: The first few paragraphs of the article were reproduced from the asiatimes site(atimes.com) for the benefit of the readers and lovers of cricket with due permission.
Addendum:any theories doing rounds about the murder of Bob Woolmer from www.thefirstpost.co.uk of Mar 27, reproduced below. Why was Bob Woolmer murdered? //PLAYERS: There was a strange affair in the first game. Pakistan's Inzamam and Yousuf were building a stand, but runs were coming slowly. When both were out, they left no chance to catch up the total../ Theory: Woolmer was aware the defeat may not have been an accident and, after the unexpected defeat by Ireland put his side out, threatened to expose the players which could be a motive for murder.// xx //FIXERS: Tipped off that Woolmer may become a loose cannon, Indian bookies got scared. These men run the lucrative spot-fixing rings in which punters bet on, say, the number of wides, an individual's score or the wickets a bowler takes./ Theory: Having coached South Africa and Pakistan, Woolmer was well-informed about the activities of betting rings in the sub-continent, and the fixers decided he must be silenced. Since their business is illegal, they'd know the whereabouts of enforcers. They had the means and the motive. // xx // FANS: Pakistani fan's calls for the death of players and coaches after humbling defeats are common enough. / Theory: Fans mixed easily with players staying at Kingston's Pegasus Hotel. Security was lax and one or more fans, entered Woolmer's room and killed him. Jamaican police are reportedly seeking three Pakistani fans who disappeared from the hotel.// xx //PRIVATE LIFE: Woolmer was found naked in his bathroom. Theory: Why would he be naked if he was confronting a player, or a fan, or a local criminal? The murder could be nothing to do with cricket, but a sex crime.//
Re: Betting, Match Fixing And Murder In World Cup Cricket
By jasonla, October 6, 2008 at 04:08Forget it being a gentleman's games being one of the most popular sports in the world it will come with it's far share of corruption at all levels. It's sad but true, just like people are used to hooligans at football games with the exception of the US every country has problems in their stadiums. I watch games and when in europe i go watch them live I even got some twenty20 tickets this year for my friends and I.