Spot-fixing, or fancy-fixing, is not new. It has been around for as long as results of entire matches have been being fixed, but only those who were involved in it, bookies and players, knew of it at the time. "Fancy-fixing" is the term bookies themselves use for it. Focusing on small events within games rather than entire games themselves gained prominence when the heat of match-fixing got to be too much for bookies.
All kinds of bets are placed under this kind of fixing. Generally the more popular ones are session bets, where in a 50-over ODI, bets are placed on how many runs will be scored or how many wickets will fall in a 15-over session. There are clever ways to manipulate this and maximise your profits if players are involved.
For example, if the original bet is for, say, 60 runs in the first 15 overs, the openers can hit a few early boundaries, drive the run-rate up and make that target seem unfeasibly low. This changes the odds in the market and the batsmen will then manipulate the run-making so that the score after 15 overs is one that will be of most benefit to the bookie financially.
What is spot-fixing? Spot fixing is about getting players/officials to act in a specified predefined manner at a particular time or during a particular session of a match, with or without adversely affecting the overall outcome of the game. It is also known as micro-fixing or fancy-fixing.
What kinds of events does spot-fixing target? Anything from the ordinary to the bizarre can be the focus of spot-fixing. Who will win the toss, which umpire will stand at which end of the wicket, how many players will be wearing sunglasses, how many times the wicketkeeper will take the bails off in an innings, which bowler will come on first change, when the new ball will be taken. All of these and any number of other similar (and at times very silly) aspects can become the subject matter of both legal and illegal bets. If a fixer has prior information relating to a predetermined occurrence during a specific period or session of a match, he can make a killing and happily share a part of the booty with the player/official who is his accomplice.
What is session betting? Each innings of 50 overs in an ODI is divided into three sessions of 15, 15 and 20 overs each. For each session, bets are accepted on permutations and combinations involving runs scored and wickets taken, and more marginal aspects along the lines of those mentioned above, such as, for instance, how many wide balls will be bowled in a particular session. In recent times both legal and illegal bookkeepers have started offering odds on session betting. Thus the number of options for betting in a six-session ODI are multiplied many times - as opposed to just betting on the outcomes at the end of the match.
What kind of inside information do bookies look for to help with spot-fixing? Bookies and punters are always looking for inside information, especially information emanating from dressing rooms: the condition of the pitch, the team composition, who will open the batting, injuries - anything that may impact a specific session of the match or events within, or the final outcome. The players in their innocence or ignorance, or in connivance, may share such inside information.
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