Match Fixing and Corruption in Cricket: The Full History

Cricket's match-fixing crisis of the early 2000s was the sport's worst scandal since Bodyline. It emerged that some of the sport's most prominent players — including the captain of a World Cup-winning team — had accepted money from bookmakers to manipulate match outcomes or share team information. The revelations shook cricket's self-image as an inherently honest game and forced fundamental changes to how the sport managed integrity.

The Early Signs: 1990s Allegations

Allegations of match-fixing circulated in cricket journalism through the 1990s, particularly around Asian cricket where the gambling market was largest and where certain players were said to be in contact with bookmakers. The ICC and national boards largely dismissed or minimised these allegations. Australian players Mark Waugh and Shane Warne were secretly fined in 1994 for providing information to an Indian bookmaker — a fact that was not publicly disclosed until 1998, when Australian journalists revealed the cover-up. This was the first confirmed case of a major Test player accepting money from a bookmaker.

Hansie Cronje: Cricket's Biggest Scandal

The Cronje revelation in April 2000 was cricket's equivalent of the Black Sox scandal. Hansie Cronje — South Africa's captain, a devout Christian who had been widely respected as a man of integrity — was exposed by Indian police wiretaps as having accepted money from bookmakers to manipulate match outcomes and to share team information over several years. He admitted to taking $130,000 from bookmakers. Several other South African players had accepted smaller amounts. Cronje was banned from cricket for life. He died in a plane crash in 2002 aged 32.

The Subsequent Investigations

Following Cronje, investigations were conducted into cricket globally. The King Commission (South Africa), the Australian Cricket Board inquiry, and the ICC's own investigation all produced reports. The Pakistan Cricket Board inquiry in 2000 found Muhammad Azharuddin (India's former captain) and several Pakistani players had also accepted bookmaker money. Azharuddin received a life ban. Mohammad Azharuddin later had his ban overturned by an Indian court; the PCB's internal investigations were less conclusive.

The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit

The ICC established the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (now the Anti-Corruption Unit, ACSU) in 2000 directly in response to the Cronje crisis. The ACSU educates players about corruption approaches, investigates allegations, and coordinates with law enforcement in member countries. Players are obligated to report any approach from a bookmaker or fixer immediately. Failure to report an approach is itself a disciplinary offence.

Spot-Fixing: The 2010 Pakistan Scandal

In 2010, the News of the World newspaper published a sting revealing that three Pakistan Test players — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir — had conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed to bowl no-balls at pre-agreed moments in the Lord's Test against England for payment. This was 'spot-fixing' — not necessarily determining the match result, but fixing specific, pre-determined events within a match for betting purposes. All three players were banned: Butt and Asif for five years, Amir for five years (he was 18 at the time and was considered a victim of older players). All three also received UK criminal sentences for conspiracy to cheat.