Timing can be everything. You in sports, you there are so many times you are waiting for that exact moment. For that right ball to drive, that opening in the defense to run, that opening in the swing to capitalize on. It's no different in sports journalism, especially if you want something to have impact. Some of things are important, if you wait for the wrong time, it can be buried. So when tennis started off the year with one of their first big events, the Australian Open, the BBC decided to release a report they had been working on regarding match-fixing in the world of tennis, and how parts of it had been overlooked by the Association of Tennis Professionals, who had requested the original inquest about ten years back.
BBC News-Tennis match fixing: Evidence of suspected match-fixing revealed
Now right now, they're not the only organization grappling with this. Sri Lanka Cricket had suspended the Sri Lankan bowling coach for alleged match-fixing bid. This is not the only recent issue that cricket has had with match-fixing, as an investigation is under way by Cricket South Africa regarding the possibility of match-fixing surrounding player Gulam Bodi in the recent South Africa T20 cricket tournament, the Ram-Slam T20. The problem seems to be even worse when you look at the fact that ESPN's cricket only website, espncricinfo.com, has its own section solely dedicated to the subject of "Corruption in Cricket."
Cric Buzz-Sri Lanka's Bowling Coach Suspended Over Alleged Fixing Bid
ESPN CricInfo-Former SA cricketer Bodi charged under CSA's anti-corruption code
ESPN CricInfo-In Focus: Corrruption in Cricket
Baseball has probably fended off many potential problems with the way they've overbearingly treated those accused in the Black Sox scandal, as well as Pete Rose, basically leaving Hall of Fame quality players outside the fence.
Baseball's most recent non-HGH/steroid related game fixing related discussions have mostly come out of the Asian baseball organizations. In Taiwan, the Chinese Professional Baseball League or CPBL nearly saw its death with the scandals surrounding players and teams in terms of game-fixing.
Wikipedia-Corruption in the Chinese Professional Baseball League
One of those players, Chin Hui Tsao, has mysteriously only been able to play baseball in the MLB, signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers after previously having been released from an Australian league team per the request of the CPBL's ban notice (they expressed their disappointment with the signing by the Dodgers).
Likewise gambling is (apparently) illegal not just on Korean soil, but also abroad, and has recently resulted in the extended suspensions of these two Korean players, with hefty fines. One of which will be pitching for the Cardinals this year. Now it's not like they were betting on games, they were just gambling in another country. But the point being is the followup and taking these matters seriously.
Yahoo! Sports-Korean Pitchers Suspended for Overseas Gambling
Even more recently, the brother of Rangers' ace Yu Darvish was arrested in Japan for running of a gambling ring. Sho Darvish, arrested in October, is subject now to investigation of any involvement with regards to MLB. While initial reports from the majority of sources noted the investigation was to clear Yu Darvish of any invovlement, Yu has made his own statements, as have the MLB, that the investigation soley is focused on Sho Darvish.
Japan Times-MLB confirms probe in Darvish gambling case
Texas Star-Telegram-MLB not investigating Rangers’ Yu Darvish for gambling
Just as the ATP has denied any wrong-doing, with the BBC report stating,
"Chris Kermode, who heads the Association of Tennis Professionals, rejected claims evidence of match-fixing had 'been suppressed for any reason or isn't being thoroughly investigated.'"
These statements are always hard to take seriously, as you don't expect an organization or individual to just hold up their hands and say, "you got me." The ATP and ICC need to take these matters very seriously, it's still coming through the cracks because there haven't been results in a way we can see. When you have years between accusations and the resulting fines and suspensions, you might as well not done anything. No one's paying attention still. And so if tennis doesn't look these accusations and address them properly, they only risk their continuance.
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