Skullduggery, rumours and what can be done about match-fixing

The bigger the tournament, the greater potential there is for a massive betting scandal.

So, when it was revealed that the tied match at the ICC World Cup between England and India had been predicted by former Australia spinner Shane Warne, eyebrows were raised in the cricketing world.

It seemed a highly improbable outcome given that England were 281 for 2 in the 43rd over in the group B game, chasing a winning target of 339 in Bangalore. 'Is it a coincidence that a cricketer who has previously been involved in match-fixing controversies predicted an unusual match outcome which then actually materialised?' asked Ahmad Fuad in his blog for Pakistan's Express Tribune.

'Let's not forget he is still playing in the controversial [Indian Premier League] and has good relationships in the land of bookies.'

The other remarkable result also involved England at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as Kevin O'Brien hit the fastest-ever World Cup hundred to engineer Ireland's shock three-wicket victory. But this was an upset that no-one had forecast, via Twitter or any other means.

One man who is almost certain that nothing untoward has gone on at the 2011 World Cup is former New Zealand batsman and ex-Ireland coach Ken Rutherford, who is now an international expert in sports gaming. But in the same breath he urges cricket authorities to take a more pro-active stance when it comes to separating wild accusations from hard evidence in the possible manipulation of games. 'That's the trouble with this whole environment - any vague rumour or hint of gossip is treated as informed comment,' he said.