ICC nail down match-fixer who targeted Zim series

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

THE International Cricket Council have imposed a 14-year ban from all forms of cricket on former Indian cricketer Mehar Chhayakar for attempting to influence aspects of the UAE’s one-day international series in Zimbabwe in 2019.

Chhayakar, an Indian cricketer formerly based in the United Arab Emirates, was found guilty of seven breaches of the ICC and anti-corruption Code, as well as the Cricket Canada Anti-Corruption Code in relation to matches in the GT20 in Canada in 2019.

Alex Marshal, who is the ICC general manager – Integrity Unit, yesterday said corruption has no place in the game.

“We first encountered Mehar Chhayakar through his involvement in organising a corrupt cricket tournament in Ajman, in 2018. The charges for which he has now received a lengthy ban are further examples of his continuing efforts to corrupt and damage our sport.

“We will be relentless in pursuing and disrupting the people who try to corrupt cricket. With a ban of 14 years, the Tribunal has sent a clear message to anyone intending to corrupt our game.”

According to the findings by the ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal, Chhayakar approached players from UAE in 2019 with the aim of influencing aspects of the four-match one-day international series in Zimbabwe as well as matches in the Global T20 franchise tournament in Canada in the same year.

Former UAE captain Mohammad Naveed and batsman Shaiman Anwar Butt were handed eight-year bans in March 2021, while another international, Qadeer Ahmed, was banned for five years the following month.

UAE wicketkeeper-batsman Gulam Shabbir was banned for four years in September 2021 for six breaches of the code after he was also approached by the match fixer.

Chhayakar faced corruption charges for the Zimbabwe series after he offered UAE cricketer Qadeer Khan 60 70 000 dirhams (approx US$16 000-19 000) to concede 70 runs in a match in the series.

Zimbabwe won the series 4-0.

The judgment released by the ICC yesterday said ICC enlisted the law enforcement agencies in Zimbabwe after getting wind of the devious plot, leading to the arrest of Chhayakar and three other suspects before the plan was hatched.

Chhayakar, who was also found guilty of refusing to co-operate with, and obstructing the work of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, was handed a 14-year ban from all cricket after investigations by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit.

“In April 2019, the ACU became aware of allegations relating to potential fixing in the Zimbabwe v UAE series and thus commenced an investigation into such allegations.

“This investigation started as a result of the law enforcement agencies in Zimbabwe in that month, and in advance of the series, arresting four individuals (including Mr Chhayakar) understood to be involved in attempts to corrupt the matches.

“Another of the arrested quartet was [Mr X], a known corrupter and someone that the ACU had previously linked to Mr Chhayakar.

“It is believed that [Mr X] and his group paid US$30 000 to have the Zimbabwe v UAE series televised under a fictitious sponsorship deal with a company called Surya Pump. Enquiries with [a betting operator] indicated that Mr Chhayakar had called them and enquired about placing a bet on the Zimbabwe v UAE series,” reads part of the judgment.

According to the ICC, Chhayakar was found in breach of the following Articles of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code:

1. Article 2.1.1 (on two separate occasions) – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any International Match, including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.
2. Article 2.1.4 (on two separate occasions) – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this Article 2.1.
3. Article 2.4.6 (on two separate occasions) – Failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperation with any investigation carried out by the ACU in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code (by any Participant), including (without limitation) failing to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the ACU (whether as part of a formal Demand pursuant to Article 4.3 or otherwise) as part of such investigation.
4. Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying any investigation that may be carried out by the ACU in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code (by any Participant), including (without limitation) concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code)”.

It is the ICC Tribunal’s view that Chhayakar failed to co-operate with the investigation after he failed to turn up for interviews. But Chhayakar has denied all the charges levelled against him.

“As stated in the notice of charge sent on 15th April 2021. There was no approach made to Qadeer Khan with any such financial amount mentioned as above.

“Just to clarify, the only financial dealing between him and myself on the said date was for the purchase of Adidas Blue/Red cricket shoes which he had given and order…

“(With regards to UAE/Zimbabwe Series) The above charge is a mere baseless accusation. I should not be held responsible for any such charge of corruption.

“Being a cricketer I do know the pros and cons as per the ICC regulations. Henceforth I had never asked Qadeer Khan to corrupt any of the said matches neither did I pursued him to do so,” he said in a statement to the Tribunal.

UAE player Khan was interviewed by the ACU as part of an investigation into the activities of some members of the UAE team.

When interviewed, Qadeer was served with a Demand to hand over his phone, which he did. During this initial interview, he denied any involvement in corruption. However, he confirmed that he knew Chhayakar through his involvement in local cricket in the UAE and he knew both him (“a good friend”) and his family. Qadeer was interviewed again and the ICC tribunal said he admitted to Chhayakar’s advances to fix the Zimbabwe-UAE series.

“In advance of the UAE’s tour of Zimbabwe in April 2019, Mr Chhayakar had offered him 60-70 000 AED (approx. US$16-19,000) to concede 70 runs in a match (the first or second match) through “bad bowling”.

“In particular, about 7 to 10 days before he left for the Zimbabwe tour, Mr Chhayakar approached him at his home.

He did not agree to the proposed fix.

He accepted that he continued communicating with Mr Chhayakar and [Mr X] after the offer was made, because he thought they might get him a place to play in cricket tournaments.

When he was shown a series of WhatsApp messages that were recovered from his phone between him and Mr Chhayakar in August 2019, he admitted that the conversations had taken place and that in those conversations Mr Chhayakar was seeking inside information from him, namely if he was playing in a certain match and if so which overs he would be bowling.

“When asked to explain some of the messages between him and Mr Chhayakar, when Mr Chhayakar asked to meet him around the times he was selected to play in matches, Mr Qadeer says that he cannot remember what was discussed in those meetings.

“In some of these messages, Mr Qadeer and Mr Chhayakar refer to “work” being done in matches – which we are told is how corrupters commonly refer to fixes.

“On the basis of the information provided in his interview, Mr Qadeer was charged by the ICC with various breaches of the Code, including that he failed to report approaches he received from Mr Chhayakar to engage in corrupt conduct.

“On 14 April 2021, Mr Qadeer admitted the charges and entered into an Agreed Sanction of a period of five (5) years ineligibility with the ICC,” reads the judgement.

Another banned player Shabbir also explained that he got to know Chhayakar a bit better during the UAE’s tour of Zimbabwe in April 2019 as Chhayakar was in Zimbabwe.

In particular, he said that when the team was in Zimbabwe, his teammate Qadeer had gone to see some people, who Mr Qadeer later told him were Mr Chhayakar and his associate [Mr X].

“Mr Shabbir said that during the Zimbabwe tour, Mr Chhayakar and [Mr X] were offering any player who wanted to make some money to corrupt a match during the tour.

“He explained that the offer came to him via Mr Qadeer, with Mr Qadeer telling him that he would have to give away 12 runs an over, or be bowled out for less than 14 runs in the second match of the series.

“Mr Shabbir said that neither he nor Mr Qadeer accepted the offer, eventually saying that Mr Qadeer had been offered AED70 000 to carry out the fix but, as he himself had not agreed to be involved ‘he was not offered any specific amount of money’,” reads the judgment.