Author's Mohali 'match-fixing' claims aimed at creating hype: Ehsan Mani

Karachi: Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has said that the claim made by British journalist Ed Hawkins, in his yet to be released book, that the 2011 World Cup semi final between India and Pakistan in Mohali could have been fixed, could be a ploy to draw massive audience to his new book. "The timing of the book could be aimed at creating sensationalism by taking advantage of the fact that Pakistan will be playing a bilateral series against India in December after five years," The Nation quoted Mani, as saying.

"It could be a ploy to take advantage of the timing of the series and I personally see the work of the author as an attempt to create sensationalism. But even then the ICC and the Pakistan and Indian Boards can`t just dismiss the matter like that," Mani said. Hawkins, in his book, claimed that a bookmaker had sent him a Twitter message during the Indian innings correctly calling that when Pakistan batted, they would reach 100 easily then lose two wickets quickly, reach 150 with five down and lose by more than 20 runs. Hawkins does not make any specific allegation of match-fixing but cites a statistician as saying the odds of the bookmaker predicting the outcome in such detail purely by chance would be 405 to one against. Hawkins also said that India is a hub of betting and claimed that Indian bookies are involved in betting in the cricket world. "It does not matter why this allegations have surfaced now but what is important is that ED Hawkins has pointed a finger at the way the sport is being run by ICC. He has basically said cricket is corrupt. And I don``t think one should ignore such serious allegations," Mani said. "The ICC and the Pakistan and Indian boards need to tell the publishers of the book and the writer that they must show them evidence based on which such serious allegations have been made or else they must take them to court," he added. ANI