The cricket scandal

[kestrelg]

Sorry if I am late with this one but can anyone explain where the gambling advantage is if a cricket player delivers several no balls.
I've frequented betting shops for many years and if I asked for the odds for a bowler to deliver 3 no balls in the 20th over they would know something was dodgy and call the police.
All I can think is that it is a private bet where someone will take the odds against another person persuading a player to do this.
Comments welcome

[Sqad]

Congratulations.......I couldn´t agree more, and wonder the same.

[joggerjayne]

It's only Cricket.

Why would anyone get excited about anything to do with Cricket?

[Sqad]

JJ,,,watchit, it could well spread to Lacrosse.

[Sqad]

We don´t want your opinions on cricket, just the betting question.

[McMouse]

Unlicensed bookies in India and Partistan will off odds on "spot" events. For example, will a six be scored off the first ball of the innings, or not. Will the second ball of the fifth over be a no-ball. Bookies in UK will take unusual bets but they have sophisticated systems that detect dodgy bets.

[R1Geezer]

It's known as "Spot betting", mainly done on the sub continent and mainly in cricket which is by far the most popular sport. Essentially you can bet on an individual event just before it happens. Ie in this case a delivery. The controversy here is known as Spot fixing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot-fixing
related to the spread betting scams on football matches in the 1990's

[joggerjayne]

Which is more boring, cricket or polo ?

What sort of question is that, Doc ?

The non-stop, all action, crowd pleaser ? ... or the Cricket ?

Duuh !

[sandyRoe]

There's something not right about this story. The News of th World offered a bribe of 150K. A gambler would have to win that, and maybe twice as much again, to make the deal worthwhile.
What kind of a bookie would take a bet where he might lose almost half a million on a 'no ball'?

[R1Geezer]

I guess they are betting on every ball, for no balls, 6's, 4's and anyting else in a pool of a billion + For a particular ball to be a no ball they would lay maybe 10 to 1, all the other punters will balance the book.Probably pre arranged through lots of smaller bets all over.

[BertiWooster]

joggerjayne - is that a good representation of your own lower legs - if so can we ( can I ) see the upper part please ? - i promise no one else is will be looking :-)

[ll_billym]

Yeah, I've been wondering this as well. I am really surprised a bookie, especially an illegal one who is obviously dealing with dodgy people in the first place, would take a million pound bet on somebody bowling a single no ball at a specified time.

I think there are subtleties to this story that have yet to emerge.

[jno]

I think you're going at this backward. It's not crooked punters who are arranging this, it's crooked bookies. They take bets on something happening or not happening, then arrange for the opposite to take place.

[anotheoldgit]

If cricket can be fixed, why is it that no one questions dodgy decisions in football?

There is more money at stake here, ie the pools etc.

How many times do we see the goalkeeper simply drop the ball and let it in the net?

How many own goals are scored?

How many deliberate penalties?

That's only the players, what about the match officials?

Wrong decisions, wrong amount of add on time, etc the opportunities are endless, but no one ever queries them, WHY?

[Goodsoulette]

I dont really understand whats been going on with the cricket. ive been forced to go and watch it my whole life and still dont understand who wins and why it has to go on for days. I only knew there was a scandal cause towns sky was covered in helicopters and thanks to r1geezer I actually understand it, bbc was of no help :S