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Cricket’s Match Fixers

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Cricket, long defined as a civilized gentleman’s sport, has been embroiled in scandals in recent years. Behind the scenes, the game has become table stakes for criminal enterprises. Al Jazeera Investigations investigates these underground activities in Cricket’s Match Fixers.

It’s the unexpected symbiosis that exists between the sport of cricket and criminal gangs bent on fixing the game. Dishonest players also benefit greatly from it. Several high-profile cricket stars have come forward, admitting to taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for poor performance. Some are attracted to houses, boats, or the company of beautiful models. Once these players took the bribe, they took the bait and continued to participate in the fix, fearing that their careers were in jeopardy.

In recent years, this problem has become more and more common. The filmmakers’ ambitious 18-month investigation spans the cricket circuit from England to India to South Africa. Using undercover tactics, they meet middlemen who arrange various solutions, some of whom are members of mafia groups, drug dealers and global terrorist organizations. They are adept at bypassing the sport’s anti-corruption agencies, control the players on every international team and can fix as much as 70 percent of matches.

Surveillance cameras recorded the illegal negotiations. We find out how the money is distributed, the earnings of corrupt players and the potential payouts of punters. Customers can bet their money on the end result of the game or only on a certain part. Each agent is candid about every aspect of their complex operation, and their revelations are captured on camera in vivid and unique detail. In the film’s most dramatic moment, after the film crew wraps up their investigation, the criminals face up to their crimes. The International Cricket Council was also involved in these bribery schemes.

In addition to this undercover footage, the filmmakers sat down with disgraced gamers who let their personal greed compromise the integrity of the games they love.

Al Jazeera’s insightful investigative documentary series consistently produce well-researched and brilliantly executed productions. Cricket’s Match Fixers are no exception.

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