Betting on cricket, the police are investigating

Talking heads
Stabroek News
May 17, 2000


Usually unreliable sources say attempts were made to bribe the members of the West Indian cricket team during the First Test against Pakistan at Bourda.

According to secret tapes of phone calls taken by police officials in the lobby of a local hotel, an international bookmaker was allegedly heard attempting to bribe a still to be identified member of the West Indies team .

The following is an exclusive transcript:

Bookmaker: How are you buddy?
Team member: Er, hello BM. Look you have to help us out with this Test. Which players can you rely on? Socrates?
TM :Yes, he's a team player..
BM: Good, here's what you have to tell him... when he comes out of the dressing room to bat let him trip on the second step from the bottom of the stairs leading out to the ground. Not the third step the second.. or else my boys will lose millions. TM: Sure.
BM: Good! We want to take odds on the order in which Socrates checks his gear. Let him check his helmet first, then his gloves, then his pads and finally his box.

Alright now if he scores 50 ask him to wave to the pavilion, give his bat lots of little kisses and then look at the camera and say " Thanks Mom, it must have been the kebab". Something like that! But he must say the word kebab, OK?

Now after lunch we are going to have our man in the Rohan Kanhai stand disguised as a peanut vendor in a large white hat and carrying a big basket. Ask Socrates to hit a huge drive over long off and our man will try to catch it in his basket. Sounds good hey? Now should he make a century, ask him to wave to the crowd and hold his belly as if in pain while saying to the camera. "Oh mom! the kebab..the kebab!"

TM: Hold on let me write that one down.
BM: No writing buddy.. Alright when its your turn to field we have some suggestions. Ask Aristotle to come out with his lace untied on his right boot and then we want you to come over and fix it. He should pat you on the head and say "Good doggie." Next, in the seventh over could you run up to the umpire and start tickling him? That would be great. TM: Anything else?
BM: Yes, We want you to open the bowling with the wicket keeper.
TM: But he's got gloves.
BM: Exactly! long odds on that... and he must keep his gloves on .
TM: (writing ) ..keep gloves on.
BM: Alright well that's about it. Except when you are batting could you hit the ball out of the ground and hit the back window of a Mercedes belonging to the President of the Bank of Baroda? TM: Well I'll try my best.
BM: That's my boy, TM: No problem......

Police are said to be investigating the matter and reviewing tapes of the game. Socrates has been questioned by the police and denies ever using the word kebab while batting. He said he had eggs for breakfast on the day he batted. This was confirmed by his mother. Meanwhile a wanted bulletin has been issued for one peanut vendor wearing a large white hat.