Mumbai first-class cricketer Robin Morris shown urging Al Jazeera undercover reporters to bet; accused of pitch fixing two Tests with Sri Lankan curator
The mid-day article on Robin Morris in the early 1990s
Around 25 years ago, this newspaper carried a profile of a young all-rounder, who was proving to be promising at the under-19 level. He answered to the name of Robin Morris.
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Morris emerged from the Ramakant Achrekar stables and played a key role in Shardashram Vidyamandir's 1991-92 Harris Shield triumph. Good performances on the junior cricket circuit gained him a scholarship from Sungrace-Mafatlal who provided him equipment, bore the expenses of his education and granted him Rs 200 per month.
Morris, who went on to become a first-class player, was called a "match fixer" by Al Jazeera on Saturday. The television network claimed that Morris, 41, admitted in a documentary, produced by them that he was involved in bribing Sri Lankan groundsman, Tharanga Indika in Galle last year to alter the pitch for two Test matches to suit bookmakers - the Sri Lanka v India Test in July last year and Sri Lanka v Australia clash in August 2016. India beat the hosts by a massive 304 runs while Australia lost the 2016 game by 229 runs.
The website refers to these matches as "fixed." Al Jazeera website quoted Morris saying to undercover reporters at a meeting in Galle: "What happens is he (curator Indika) - we - can make a pitch to do whatever we want it to do. Because he's the main curator. He is the assistant manager and curator of the Galle stadium."
According to Al Jazeera, the Sri Lankan curator and the former Mumbai-based first-class cricketer had planned a "pitch fix" during England's tour of Sri Lanka at Galle later this year. "I have the information. I will give it to you. And you can bet good money, big time," Morris told undercover reporters.
Morris, a regular on Facebook and Instagram, has apparently deleted his accounts and his cell phone has been "temporarily disconnected." Recently, he launched a cricket academy whose inauguration was graced by his coach Achrekar.
He first played Ranji Trophy for Orissa in 1997-98 and made his Mumbai debut in the 2000-01 season. He also represented India under-19 in a one-day series against SA in 1996. In 2007, he joined the rebel Indian Cricket League.
Interestingly, he top-scored with 81 in the first innings of his last Ranji game for Mumbai - against Punjab at Mohali in 2003. And in his last first-class game of his career - the Irani Cup for Mumbai - he claimed 6-69 and 2-95. According to the website, Morris said that Al Jazeera had invited him to audition for a role in a movie, "for public entertainment only." Indika said he had a conversation with the journalists just to be courteous to foreign tourists.
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