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'You people won the match, but took money for losing'

In course of an extensive interview that appears on www.tehelka.com, interviewer Aniruddha Bahal asks Manoj Prabhakar whether he had ever bet on matches.

In response, Prabhakar says that while he hasn't gambled on cricket matches, it does happen that sometimes, friends call asking for information, which you provide. Something of the kind, Prabhakar says, happened in course of a series the date of which he could not remember offhand (Editor's note: we went digging, the date is July 25, 1993, between India and Sri Lanka at the Khettarama Stadium in Colombo). Someone asked him what he thought would happen, Prabhakar responded that it was a batting track and whoever batted second would win. The caller offered to place Rs 50,000 on the outcome on Prabhakar's behalf - an offer that the all-rounder says he refused.

Prabhakar goes on to tell Bahal about how Vijay Yadav, the then wicket-keeper, was his room-mate. About how Yadav had heard the whole conversation. About how, much to Yadav's surprise, when the game came down to Lanka, batting second, needed one run to win off the last ball, Prabhakar bowled the batsman out. When the team was walking back, Yadav asked Prabhakar about why he had lost money, and Prabhakar said, 'Think of the crores of people who will say, Manoj made us win this match! I haven't betted, I don't have anything to do with all this.'

To cross-check, we spoke to Vijay Yadav. And realised that this entire exercise is rapidly degenerating into a deranged version of Chinese whispers. Where similar words are used, but different meanings are produced. Where nothing is as it seems. Where any two people seem incapable of telling an identical story.

Never mind. Reproduced, here, is the conversation Faisal Shariff had with Vijay Yadav. This, please note, is an unedited transcript, Yadav in his very own words, in his very own style. So, giving due allowance for grammatical errors and the like, read on….

Did you hear Manoj talk with someone on the phone when you were his room partner in '93-'94?

In the Hero Cup I was with him. In the Sri Lanka tour also we shared the room. He was not talking to a player but he was talking with someone. I don't know who the gentleman was. He was just talking about India has won the match and he was telling me that 'I just did something for the country. All the people were against me'. Then next day I got a call.

Who did you get a call from?

I don't know. I was in the room and he called up and said that, "You people are traitors" or something like this, "You people won the match but took the money for losing."

But, why did they tell you that? Were you involved in the racket?

That's what! They didn't know who picked up the phone. They started abusing and all these things…

What did that person tell you?

He said that you people took the money to lose the match and you guys…..

Which match was this?

This was the Hero Cup match where Sachin bowled the last over. It happened in Sri Lanka as well.

So, where did you get the phone call? In Sri Lanka or during the Hero Cup?

In Sri Lanka also it happened. Somebody called up and asked where is Manoj…yeh who……something they were talking.

Manoj has said that Vijay Yadav heard me talking to someone, who was a friend, and I was just giving him some information about the pitch; that it was a batting wicket and that whoever would bat second would win?

That I heard. I heard him say that. I didn't know who it was. I never knew all these things then. I was a youngster and I couldn't believe that these things are happening. Even till today I can't believe.

Are you trying to say that Manoj was involved?

I don't know. That's what I am saying. I didn't know that these things are happening. I said I don't know how these things are happening.

When you were standing up behind the stumps to that last ball in the game against Sri Lanka, what was going through your mind? Manoj got a wicket of that last ball and won the game for India…

I just asked him that you were saying that who will bat second will win the game and you betted for that. So he said that yeah, I betted for that, that whoever bats second will win.

Manoj said that he betted for that?

He said that I just put money like this. I don't know if it was a shart (bet) between two friends or something.

So how much money did he put for that?

He told me nothing. He said the same thing, that whoever bats second will win, because the wicket is like this. It was a flat wicket. Then I asked him that you lost the bet. He said that 'it doesn't make a difference but I won the match'. He told me like this.

You don't know the amount but he did lose the bet? And that he did bet some money on it? Why did you not report the matter to the team manager?

Suppose if I bet with a friend that who will bat second will lose doesn't mean that I will lose the match.

But if there is anything to do with match-fixing or betting then you are supposed to tell the team management immediately?

But that was not match-fixing. That was what I am saying. After winning the match, I asked him and he said that's what. I just put the money and it was just that who will bat second will win, but it doesn't make sense that I lose the game. I am playing for the country, he said. That was an opinion, he said, whoever bats second will win, but I tried my best and won.

Did you tell Prabhakar about the phone calls that you got in the hotel room?

Yeah, I told him about it.

What did he say?

He asked who was calling. This was after we won the match against South Africa in the Hero Cup and it was a big achievement, then why are they calling. Then he said that something is going on in this team, about taking money. I said whatever, next time anybody calls I'll just give him bamboo (slang for abuse). He said, just give it to him. But after that nobody called.

But you are saying that you got a call during the Sri Lanka tour as well as during the Hero Cup?

Look, after that Sri Lanka happened.

You got a call after Prabhakar took a wicket off the last ball in Sri Lanka?

I was sharing the room with Prabhakar and somebody called for Prabhakar and I picked up the phone, he just said this thing and put the phone down. I couldn't make out anything. I just can't say that it was a match-fixing or anything, I don't know. I heard that people are betting, they lose money, they go and do suicide but I never knew that these things are happening.

Are you saying that people bet or players bet?

I heard him talking and asked him if he bet. He said no, it was a friend. I don't know who that friend was. He said that I told him something. I don't remember excatly, but now that things have come up, I am recollecting my memory.

Prabhakar has said in his interview that his friend told him that he lost Rs 85 lakhs on that match where Prabhakar took a wicket of the last ball.

Prabahakar said that? I was in the room that time but I did not hear anything like this.

Did Prabhakar say anything to you, to the effect that the friend threatened to kill him and his family?

That time he didn't tell me anything like this.

Did you hear him talk to his friend at that moment?

I heard him say it. But normally we do this thing, yaar. Like suppose if Haryana and Delhi is playing, then we say that the wicket is good and if you bat second it will be very difficult. That doesn't mean that we are betting. That's what I am saying. I don't know what the people are talking about.