Sports Illustrated claims that India Pakistan Semi Final was fixed

Sports illustrated magazine is making a startling claim that the India Pakistan semi final match in the ICC 2011 World cup was fixed !! Not entirely, partly fixed. They claim they are exposing the "Dirt in Cricket". Here is the complete article.

A Magazine called Sports Illustrated: Sports Illustrated is primarily an American magazine based out of New York, US and is owned by Time Warner. The first issue was published in 16th of August 1954 (Wow, it's actually old). Sports Illustrated was launched in India on 5th October 2009. Infact, the first issue of the Indian edition had a cover page on India's unofficial national sport - Cricket. And now, to think that they are back-stabbing the product they used to enter India !! Interesting.

Key pointers from the latest issue:

1. The possibility that the World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan, or portions thereof, was fixed
2. The information that vast sums of illicit money changed hands during the World Cup
3. The suggestion that politicians of varying degrees of prominence were part of the loose confederation of those who make illegal profits out of cricket
4. A question mark about the sudden exit of Chris Gayle from the playing eleven in a World Cup game against India
5. A question surrounding a national player from Delhi, who through his agent had apparently done enough to cause even the BCCI – notorious for its Three Monkeys-style inability to see, hear, or speak to any wrongdoing – to issue a warning
6. A reference in course of a conversation (whose transcript is not part of the story) to a national selector who received unspecified favors in return for bringing a particular player into the national team.

How will this shape the future of Cricket: Below is what (I feel) might happen in the near future:

1. BCCI will refute all the allegation made against them and the Indian cricketers. After all, Indians are now the World Champions. BCCI will try to nip this issue in the bud itself.
2. Television News channels now have something more to feed on. Come on, even they are tired with the continuous scam expose!! There will be more debates, more questions that many news anchors will ask on behalf on the 'whole of India'.
3. Sports Illustrated will get some much needed publicity, free of cost.
4. Issue will die a slow death.
5. If at all it gains some momentum, it will only mean one more week of regular news feeds and then eventually BCCI will settle this with Sports Illustrated in a dignified way like they have done with numerous issues throughout!

This issue will actually show the importance and relevance of the anti-corruption unit of ICC. ICC claims to have a robust system to tackle match-fixing. Lets see how good they are. They already have their hands full with the Hashan Tillakaratne case.

PS: Dear Sports Illustrated guys: Don't think that we are unaware of what's happening around in the cricketing circles. You entered the Indian market in 2009. We are following cricket since the time you launched your first magazine in the US. We also know what's your intention in all of this, and what are you gaining out of it, it's business after all. Wish you all the best!! Maybe you'll need it. And by the way, Welcome to India.