Cricket: Scandal lowlights

OCTOBER 1998: Pakistan, the subject of persistent match-fixing rumours, sets up a judicial inquiry under Justice Malik Qayyum into claims that test players Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed and Wasim Akram have been involved.

DECEMBER: The Australian Cricket Board admits it secretly fined Mark Waugh and Shane Warne in February 1995 for giving pitch and weather details to bookmakers during a 1994 tour of Sri Lanka.

Former NZ fast bowler Danny Morrison says he was invited to sell information while playing India in 1994. He refused.

JANUARY 1999: The Pakistan inquiry moves to Melbourne and hears from Waugh and Warne. Waugh says Malik approached him during a 1994 test and offered him money to bowl poorly. He refused.

JULY: Akram, Malik and Ahmed are banned from playing for Pakistan until cleared by the inquiry.

AUGUST: NZ captain Stephen Fleming says he was offered money by an Asian betting syndicate to throw the third test against England. He refused.

Former English bowler Chris Lewis says an Asian syndicate asked him to persuade the England team to play poorly.

SEPTEMBER: The three Pakistani players are reinstated.

OCTOBER: Justice Qayyum's report is finished but not made public. The judge later says he is mystified at the secrecy, and at the Pakistani President's intervention to stop him looking at two World Cup matches, notably Pakistan's preliminary round defeat to minnows Bangladesh.

APRIL 2000: Delhi police allege South African captain Hansie Cronje and team-mates Herschelle Gibbs, Pieter Strydom and Nicky Boje were involved in match-fixing during the series with India in March. All deny the charges. Police say they have taped conversations between Cronje and a bookmaker discussing payments.

APRIL 11: Cronje admits he has not been "entirely honest." He is sacked as captain after admitting receiving up to $US15,000 ($34,480) for providing "information and forecasts" on one-dayers.

MAY: The International Cricket Council (ICC) sets up an anti-corruption unit. The council also brings in tougher penalties for match-fixing, ranging from two years to life bans.



The Pakistan board finally acts on Justice Qayyum's report and bans Malik for life.

Former Indian allrounder Manoj Prabhakar claims that bowling great Kapil Dev offered him 2.5 million rupees ($123,860) to underperform against arch-rival Pakistan in 1994.

JUNE: In Cape Town, South African retired judge Edwin King starts a commission of inquiry against Cronje.

Gibbs admits accepting Cronje's offer of $US15,000 to score less than 20 runs in a 1996 match against India. But he did not stick to the deal and did not receive money. Other former teammates say Cronje offered the side up to $US350,000 to throw a match.

Cronje tells the inquiry that he accepted nearly $US100,000 from bookmakers over four years, but denies fixing matches.

OCTOBER: The South African board bans Cronje from cricket for life, but he vows to appeal.

NOVEMBER: The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation releases a report damning former captain Mohammad Azharuddin's links to bookmakers. In the report, bookmaker M.K. Gupta alleges that nine international captains, including New Zealand's Martin Crowe, have been linked to bookmakers.

The ICC's anti-corruption unit says it will investigate the overseas claims, and inquiries from member countries.

DECEMBER: The Indian board bans Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma for life. Lesser penalties are imposed on Prabhakar and Ajay Jadeja.

THIS MONTH: The ICC's anti-corruption unit continues its inquiry into the Gupta claims. Waugh is threatened with the axe if he does not front up to the inquiry. Waugh agrees to.