Corrupt cricket forces never far from the door as allegations surface ahead of the Ashes

CRICKET never takes long to shoot down a match fixing story. Sadly, the game has never been as quick to catch people who actually did it, writes Robert Craddock.

CRICKET never takes long to shoot down a match fixing story. Sadly, the game has never been as quick to catch people who actually did it.

In fact, it barely catches anyone.

Within hours of the London Sun breaking the match fixing allegations that rocked the cricket world the game had jumped to its own defence.

The logic was impossible to argue with … why would players on $2 million disgrace their countries by taking small fees to corrupt the game’s greatest series?

Sheer logic tells us no player would take money to tinker with the Ashes.

Tapes were found of Hansie Cronje fixing matches.

But beneath the frantic denials there is a worrying subplot the game cannot deny.

The match fixing forces are still out there and their brazenness is shuddering.

SCANDAL: Ugly spot fixing scandal rocks Ashes

T20: Ex-Aussie cricketer in BBL match-fixing plot

That three international captains have been approached in recent months is cause for major concern.

India’s men of the shadows know no fear and are comforted by the fact that the game has a dreadful record for bringing match fixers to justice and basically has given up trying to catch the bookies.

LISTEN: Ben Horne and Crash Craddock talk England’s dominance on day one of the third Test, DRS controversy, match-fixing scandals and a WACA deck that came to life.

When a senior cricket official went to the Indian police in Delhi a few years ago expressing match fixing fears, the police shrugged their shoulders and said “we are flat out catching major crime operators in our city … do you think we really care about cricket betting?’

Match fixing claims have hit the Ashes.

Cricket’s multi-million dollar anti-corruption unit has been in existence since the year 2000 and has netted a disturbing low number of scalps – including low profile Kenyan captain Maurice Odumbe, West Indian Marlon Samuels and New Zealand’s Lou Vincent – from their own investigations.

Most of the tiny number of men brought to justice come from the ACU following up newspaper stories.

A senior, world-wise player once told me that for every person caught for match fixing there would be 20 who had got away with it over the years.

Mohammad Amir was jailed for his role in match-fixing.

The Sun story was being branded lightweight but it was no whacky kite-flying exercise.

The paper spent a lot of money going to Delhi on a tip. They were told where to go to find men corrupting cricket and duly found them, however obscure they were and abstract their plans.

The ICC will investigate match fixing charges made in the Sun.

An Ashes approach would defy trends because normally the smaller the game the more brazen the fix.

Sharjah, for instance, the host of so many tin pot 50 over games, has long been regarded as a haven for match fixers.

Cricket can huff and puff all it likes about the war against match fixing but deep down it knows that it is a battle it has never really managed to win.

Originally published as Corrupt cricket forces never far from the door as allegations surface ahead of the Ashes