Bookie Sanjeev Chawla says Cricket Match-Fixing is Rife, "No Cricket Match is Played Fairly"
Illegal bookmaker Sanjeev Chawla, the prime suspect in the Hansie Cronje cricket match-fixing case which revolves around the South Africa tour of India in 2000, has made several disturbing claims in his disclosure statement to the Delhi police.
Among the troubling revelations is Chawla's assertion that "no cricket match is fairly played" and "all the cricket matches people see are fixed".
New Delhi-born Chawla, who became a British citizen in 2000, was extradited to India from the UK in February of this year to face charges of match-fixing.
He has pointed to dangerous underworld figures that influence and decide cricket matches as if they were "movies which are already being directed by someone".
The syndicate have allegedly made the case's investigating office DCP (Crime Branch) Dr G Ram Gopal Naik a target, with his life under threat.
Chawla has confessed to match-fixing for years when based in London. But he has been reluctant to share further details since “a very big syndicate/underworld mafia is involved in this matter and they are dangerous people and if he says anything they will get him killed".
Earlier this month Chawla was released on bail from Tihar jail, but the Supreme Court will hear the matter next month.
Chawla's alleged associates - Krishan Kumar, Rajesh Kalra, and Sunil Dara - are also out on bail.
Delhi police have argued Chawla's non-cooperation in the investigation proves his guilt. When contacted for comment, Special CP (Crime) Praveer Ranjan said, "Since the matter is still under investigation, we may not be able to share any intricate details."
The case relies on a conversation transcript between Chawla and Hansie, which hints at the exchange of inside information for cash.
Cronje, former captain of South Africa and widely regarded as one of the best-ever Proteus players, admitted to the South Africa government-appointed King Commission that he had accepted money from bookmakers for underperforming.
In 2002 at the age of 32, Cronje died in a plane crash, leading to conspiracies that he was murdered to hide the truth about wide-scale match-fixing.
No evidence has been provided to back up those theories, and in August 2006 a South Africa High Court inquest concluded that "the death of the deceased Wessel Johannes Cronje was brought about by an act or omission prima facie amounting to an offence on the part of pilots."
Match-fixing allegations have plagued cricket in recent years, including alleged manipulation in the IPL.
