Does Pakistan's defeat disprove World Cup fixing rumours?
The matches on Saturday did not end the way a leaked list had claimed they would
West Indies bowler Andre Russell (L) celebrates dismissing Pakistan's Umar Akmal (C) during their Cricket World Cup match in Christchurch, February 21, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS
While many were intrigued by purported results of World Cup 2015 matches in an allegedly ‘fixed’ tournament just hours before Pakistan took on the West Indies, events that unfolded on Saturday disproved at least two of the supposedly pre-determined results.
As per the leaked 'fixed' schedule, which had been accurate so far, Pakistan was supposed to win against the West Indies, while Australia would triumph over Bangladesh.
However, as the covers were drawn in Christchurch and Brisbane, the schedule for Saturday, at least, was disproved.
Read: Fixed? Pakistan to crash out of World Cup 2015 in the quarter-finals
Pakistan, who had been tipped to win, lost the match by 150 runs.
In the other match, between Australia and Bangladesh, the game had to be abandoned as a cyclone slammed into Queensland and the match had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. It is only the second World Cup match to be washed out completely, after Sri Lanka against West Indies at The Oval in 1979.
Many saw Saturday’s results as the clearest sign that the leaked list of results was false. Others believed that Pakistan’s demolition was proof that while the country’s cricket faced a number of problems both on and off the field, match fixing was probably not one of them.
The accuracy of this 'fixed' schedule will go under the microscope in the coming days and whether South Africa will really go on to win the World Cup.
Till then, this is what some said about the fixing rumours and Pakistan's performance in the field on Saturday:
As per the leaked 'fixed' schedule, which had been accurate so far, Pakistan was supposed to win against the West Indies, while Australia would triumph over Bangladesh.
However, as the covers were drawn in Christchurch and Brisbane, the schedule for Saturday, at least, was disproved.
Read: Fixed? Pakistan to crash out of World Cup 2015 in the quarter-finals
Pakistan, who had been tipped to win, lost the match by 150 runs.
In the other match, between Australia and Bangladesh, the game had to be abandoned as a cyclone slammed into Queensland and the match had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. It is only the second World Cup match to be washed out completely, after Sri Lanka against West Indies at The Oval in 1979.
Many saw Saturday’s results as the clearest sign that the leaked list of results was false. Others believed that Pakistan’s demolition was proof that while the country’s cricket faced a number of problems both on and off the field, match fixing was probably not one of them.
The purported schedule with the results 'fixed'
The accuracy of this 'fixed' schedule will go under the microscope in the coming days and whether South Africa will really go on to win the World Cup.
Till then, this is what some said about the fixing rumours and Pakistan's performance in the field on Saturday: