Recently read the book - All Cricket Matches are Fixed by Atul Kumar.
Excellent read. 5/5.
There are several other excellent books which describe match fixing, cricket betting, involvement of the powerful and the mighty, underworld, honey trapping etc. in great detail.
Specialty of this book is the excellent use of data and analysis. Extensive data about cricket matches is available. Can you apply statistical analysis to determine if matches are fixed or if cricket is played as a natural game? That's exactly what the author has done and kudos to him.
Using basic probability and statistics concepts, the author shows that most of the matches are fixed. If not completely fixed, certain sessions are definitely fixed (spot fixing). If highly unlikely events start happening very regularly beating all odds then you can safely conclude that results are manipulated. For example - if you toss a coin ten times, how likely you are going to get heads all ten times? Very very small probability. But if you get such a result even once, you can be sure that the coin has been 'fixed' to show heads every time. Same principle applied here. Using historical data of cricket matches, the author applies probability and statistics to show that cricket matches are manipulated if not fixed entirely.
There is another book 'Fixed' (not sure about the title) which was the first book to look at soccer matches and use data and analysis to come to similar conclusion. All matches are fixed.
While on the subject, I recommend following books if you are interested:
No Ball by by Chandramohan Puppala
Fixed!: Cash and Corruption in Cricket by Shantanu Guha Ray
Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy by Ed Hawkins
Thank God, I don't follow cricket anymore. Was a fan till 1996. After moving to the US and after becoming busy with other activities, cricket craze fell off. Also cricket is fun when watched with friends. Still remember some of the high-octane matches watched with friends. Nail biting finishes. Arguments. Disappointments when power suddenly failed.
Fun old days. But if it was all a horrible staged drama, good riddance! :)
Cheers!
Excellent read. 5/5.
There are several other excellent books which describe match fixing, cricket betting, involvement of the powerful and the mighty, underworld, honey trapping etc. in great detail.
Specialty of this book is the excellent use of data and analysis. Extensive data about cricket matches is available. Can you apply statistical analysis to determine if matches are fixed or if cricket is played as a natural game? That's exactly what the author has done and kudos to him.
Using basic probability and statistics concepts, the author shows that most of the matches are fixed. If not completely fixed, certain sessions are definitely fixed (spot fixing). If highly unlikely events start happening very regularly beating all odds then you can safely conclude that results are manipulated. For example - if you toss a coin ten times, how likely you are going to get heads all ten times? Very very small probability. But if you get such a result even once, you can be sure that the coin has been 'fixed' to show heads every time. Same principle applied here. Using historical data of cricket matches, the author applies probability and statistics to show that cricket matches are manipulated if not fixed entirely.
There is another book 'Fixed' (not sure about the title) which was the first book to look at soccer matches and use data and analysis to come to similar conclusion. All matches are fixed.
While on the subject, I recommend following books if you are interested:
No Ball by by Chandramohan Puppala
Fixed!: Cash and Corruption in Cricket by Shantanu Guha Ray
Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy by Ed Hawkins
Thank God, I don't follow cricket anymore. Was a fan till 1996. After moving to the US and after becoming busy with other activities, cricket craze fell off. Also cricket is fun when watched with friends. Still remember some of the high-octane matches watched with friends. Nail biting finishes. Arguments. Disappointments when power suddenly failed.
Fun old days. But if it was all a horrible staged drama, good riddance! :)
Cheers!
2 comments:
Cricket is bad not just because of `fixing'. It is no game and no sport. The player does not get any exercise which one is supposed to get in any sort of play. The players who play on roads etc are insensitive. They hit the ball in your house and on you, and say `it was not intentional'. May be a year ago, an infant in the arms of its mother died due to a hit by a cricket ball. Cricket in India is eating all other sports and games. Cricket should be banned.
Thanks Sunaath Sir. A lot of people feel the same way. But, for some reason, in the subcontinent, cricket's popularity is only growing. Maybe it has become a new easy-money-making tool for the unscrupulous as some of the books indicate.
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