'Spot Fixing' - Big Threat to Cricket World

'Spot-fixing' has emerged as the latest threat to the integrity of cricket after the match-fixing scandal which rocked the game 10 years ago.

British police arrested a 35-year-old man on Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers after a newspaper report that Pakistan pace bowlers Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif had bowled three deliberate no-balls in the fourth Test against England at Lord's.

WHAT IS 'SPOT-FIXING'?

'Spot-fixing' involves a player agreeing to perform to order by pre-arrangement. For example, a bowler might deliberately bowl consecutive wides in his second over or a batsman could make sure he does not reach double figures.

Twenty20 cricket is particularly susceptible because so much happens so quickly that individual performances can soon be forgotten or dismissed as inconsequential.

Tim May, the chief executive of the international players' union FICA, is one of several influential figures in the game who believes that the number of Twenty20 matches now being played could tempt players to take money from bookmakers in return for 'spot-fixing'.

WHO BENEFITS?

Betting on cricket matches televised in the Indian sub-continent is a hugely lucrative business. Fortunes can be made if a gambler knows in advance what a particular bowler or batsman is going to do. Bets can be placed on every delivery.

Only betting on horse racing at trackside is allowed in India but in practice around half of a market worth billions of dollars is estimated to be illegal betting, mostly on cricket.

WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE OF 'SPOT-FIXING'?

Rumours have abounded since the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL) two years ago although nobody has ever been charged. During last year's Ashes tour of England an Australian player reported that he had been approached by a suspected illegal bookmaker in the team's London hotel.

Former England captain Michael Atherton said in a newspaper column earlier this year that one leading former international had told him "categorically" that 'spot-fixing' was a regular occurrence.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif told Reuters this year that he knew of match-fixing in the now defunct Indian Cricket League.

WHAT WAS THE MATCH-FIXING SCANDAL?

Three international captains Hansie Cronje (South Africa), Salim Malik (Pakistan) and Mohammed Azharuddin (India) were banned for life in 2000 for helping to influence the results of matches.

Match-fixing had become established in One-day Cricket in the 1990s and suspicion centred, in particular, on the one-day tournaments staged at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

As a result of the scandal the International Cricket Council (ICC) founded its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to monitor all international matches. The ACSU monitored the IPL tournament in India this year but not the second edition in South Africa last year because the Indian board thought the fee charged by the ICC was too high.

Paul the Octopus Predict England Will Host 2018 World Cup

He made his name predicting Germany's 2010 World Cup results, but now Paul the Octopus is returning home to help England's bid to stage the 2018 tournament.

England's campaign came off the rails in May when former Football Association chariman David Triesman was forced to stand down after being secretly taped accusing Spain and Russia of bribing referees.

His comments put a big dent in the considerable goodwill that had been built by the addition of soccer superstar David Beckham to the campaign team in 2009.

Now Paul, who was hatched at an English aquarium in 2008, is lending his particular talents to the bid despite having retired from psychic predictions.

Paul has spent the last two years of his life in Germany, but he is definitely a proud Englishman and is therefore delighted to put his support behind England 2018," Weymouth Sea Life Center manager Nicola Hamilton said on Wednesday.

"We have had a number of football approaches from around the world but Paul was only ever going to choose his homeland."

The cephalopod correctly predicted the outcome of eight consecutive World Cup matches, dooming Germany's hopes when he plumped for Spain in the semifinal and then also in the final.

He has since signed book and merchandising deals and is set to appear in a film, all of which will help to raise funds for a sea turtle rescue center on the Greek Island of Zakynthos -- which will also receive a donation from the England 2018 team.

"With his predicting days behind him, Paul is now concentrating on a number of new projects and the England 2018 campaign is something we are sure he feels passionately about. Becoming an official ambassador for the bid is an honor for Paul and everyone at the Sea Life Center," Hamilton said.

Paul joins music stars Robbie Williams, Sting and former Oasis leader Noel Gallagher as part of the team along with Prince William, Formula One champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

The England bid is one of five seeking to host the 2018 tournament and one of eight hoping to stage the 2022 event, with the decision to be made by world ruling body FIFA in December this year.