After gambling, match fixing and bribery scandals have already jolted the cricket world and as investigations progress worldwide, further claims have now surfaced about the magnitude of corruption in the princely game of cricket. A stunning disclosure made by Qasim Umar, a former Pakistan Test cricketer, that in Australia women were used by bookmakers to lure well-known players into throwing games, or to reward them for under-performing on the field, has hit the game like a thunderstorm.

In a report published in Britain's "The Observer", Umar alleged that the players, some of them national team captains, had sex with the prostitutes as part of crooked deals. Umar is said to have provided a list of 23 prostitutes to Sir Paul Condon, Head of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), that includes a doctor, nurse, travel agent and a glamorous TV presenter including one from Pakistan and one from China. In the mid-1980s the girls were allegedly supplied by a bookmaker through two Sydney brothel owners. Umar claims that the network of prostitutes stretched from Australia to New Zealand.

Umar also alleged that an Australian bookmaker lavished money and gifts on players, both domestic and foreign. The batsmen were paid up to $9,500 for throwing away their wickets, and received jewellery, watches, gold pens and liquor as perks.

Qasim Umar, who played 26 tests for Pakistan in the 1980s, was the first person to blow the whistle on corruption in international cricket. He accused some of the great players of carrying drugs with their kit. His claims created no ripples among the cricket administrators, though his own career came to an end.

With the amount of information that he claims to possess, he appears to have turned into a detective. It is surprising that after saying goodbye to international cricket as far back as 1986-87 and settling in England, he is so aware of the underworld activities in Australia.

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has vehemently denied the involvement of any Australian cricketer, past or present, in such corruption. ACB Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said that the Board did not know if any Australian players or teams had benefited inadvertently from alleged sex bribery in the 1980s. He added that the allegations related to the visiting sides only and not the Australian team.

According to Malcolm Speed, the allegations related to the period of 1984-87. If that is true, what made Umar wake up after a slumber of nearly 15 years? Apart from the desire to rid cricket of corruption, what axe could he possibly have to grind? It may not be easy for the ACU to reach the right conclusions, since the allegations relate to a period so long ago. But by claiming that the investigations are only directed towards the visiting teams and not the Australians, Speed is trying to project his own players as `saints' while undermining the others.

Whether Umar's accusations are true or not, only time will tell. Sir Paul Condon's six-man ACU plans to interview Qasim Umar before flying back to Australia to interrogate the bookmaker and the girls concerned. The whole episode looks disgraceful for the already turbulent cricket world. The investigation will be of immense interest to cricket lovers. Let us hope the outcome does not damage the image of cricket further.

Sir Paul Condon's unit has a three-year mandate to uncover corruption in cricket, and was already in Australia to interview Mark Waugh over the allegations in an Indian police report that he had taken $20,000 from illegal bookmaker MK Gupta.

To the disappointment of the ACU, Waugh refused to be interviewed on the plea that he had already denied the allegations. His lawyer said that "Waugh's focus is on his commitment to cricket and to ensure that the game's reputation is not further tarnished by endless inquiries and speculation." The issue sparked a big controversy in Australia. While Speed showed his astonishment, Waugh's advisors felt that as this was not a criminal inquiry he could not be forced into answering the allegations.

Other observers felt that Waugh appeared to be testing the will of the ACB, which wanted the matter resolved before the Australian team leaves for its tour of India in mid-February. On the other hand Martin Crowe, a former New Zealand captain who the Indian police report claims received $45,000 from bookmakers in 1992, has expressed his willingness to appear before the ACU.

Crowe is now reported to have retracted from his earlier position and joined Mark Waugh in refusing to speak to the ICC's Anti Corruption Committee. Speaking to the Evening Post in Wellington, his lawyer Dave Howman said: "Martin would not talk to the head of the unit Paul Condon, unless the allegations were substantiated. Then the ACB decided that Mark Waugh would be dropped from the Australian team if he refused to appear before the ACU.

Following the ultimatum, Waugh backed down and agreed to meet the ACU next month. The ACB is now planning a meeting next week to set out the protocol for the interview.

Sir Paul Condon's unit is performing a hectic but noble task of digging into the evil of corruption in cricket. The lack of co-operation from these two players does not improve their chances of success.

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