Cricket Umpires in Skype net

Six umpires from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who were last night exposed in a sting operation by India TV for agreeing to favor players during the recently-concluded T20 ICC World Cup fell pray to popular internet tools like Skype. An undercover reporter who posed as a member of a sports management company established link with a Pak umpire via Skype, an internet videophone service.

The conversation revealed the shadow side of umpiring. The umpires were shown agreeing to favor teams and players with reference to lbws and run-outs only. Among the umpires named, one is a current member of the ICC's international panel of umpires while two have officiated in international cricket matches. Two were fourth officials in unofficial warm-up matches before the 2012 World Twenty 20 in Sri Lanka.

While it is disheartening to know that umpires are involved in match or what is now known as spot-fixing, internet and technology have brought forth the rampant dark practices in games with which emotions of hundreds of millions people are attached. It would be interesting to see how international body ICC reacts to the situation and what it does to cleanse the game of cricket.