Match Fixing!

 Indians are honest people. A bookie calls Hansie Cronje before the

 match between India and SouthAfrica.

 Cell phone rings. Hansie picks up.

 Cronje : hello

 Bookie : I am ....... Here.

 Cronje : yes tell me

 Bookie : how is the pitch

 Cronje : ya dry and good for batting

 Bookie : I want u to loose today's match

 Cronje : impossible

 Bookie : I will pay u $200,000

 Cronje : will be difficult to make India win.

 Bookie : I will pay u $250,000

 Cronje : May be I could help you by reducing the margin... u tell by

 what margin we should win... will be much more easier

 Bookie : no India should win

 Cronje : OK. I will try my best

 Bookie : no make it.

 Cronje : OK.

 Bookie : what will be the score

 Cronje : 300, if we bat first

 Bookie : no make it 220

 Cronje : Impossible. Agarkar and Joshi are playing.

 Bookie : 220 no change.

 Cronje : I will try

 Bookie : OK. I f India bat first

 Cronje : 180

 Bookie : no make it 275

 Cronje : no u are asking too much. Dravid is playing.

 Bookie : OK make it $300,000

 Cronje : This would be the toughest match in my life

 Bookie : OK, deal is made.

 Cronje : yes

 Bookie : bye.

 Match starts India bats first. India score only 220 in 50 overs.

 During the lunch break Hansie's cell rings.

 Cronje : hello

 Bookie : its me. why did India score only 220. Our deal was 275.

 Cronje : What can I do ? They run one when they could run three,

 defend full toss, get out on wide balls, all

 catches and shots... I mean, if there is any... exactly directed

 to the fielders. But I will tell you this, Indians are too good

 at this, I tried re-arranging the field...but they never miss a fielder.

 Bookie : still u could bowl more no-balls. We got only 63 extras.

 Cronje : I asked all my bowlers to bowl badly. I also made Kirsten and

 Gibbs bowl.

 Bookie : Okay... leave that... I want u to loose the match.

 Cronje : I will try.

 Bookie : South Africa should be all out for 180

 Cronje : OK.

 Bookie : bye.

 S. Africa bats. They are making a serious attempt to not hit the ball

 and if at all they hit trying their best to hit to the fielders. They

 try to run only singles for doubles. But sometimes, they can't stop

 themselves from running. All South African batsmen

 charged down to Joshi's bowling and they purposely miss the ball

 hoping at least one would hit the stumps. But they got to run a bye for that as Dighe is

 still searching for the ball. Inspite of the bad display of batting,

 they score 218 of 49 overs. Last over, 3 runs

 required, the worst part is that its an Agarkar over. Hansie is

 batting with Strydom. Bookie gets really furious.

 Hansie is ready to face the last over his cell rings (he plays with his cell).

 Cronje : hello

 Bookie : its me! . What are you upto ?

 Cronje : We tried the best we could

 Bookie : OK forget it. I want u to loose the match

 Cronje : what can I do. Fate !!! Agarkar is bowling

 Bookie : I don't know... u are loosing

 Agarkar bowls... Hansie tries to hide his bat behind his back. But the

 ball hits the bat and goes to third man. So they take a single.

 (cell rings)

 Cronje : sorry what can I do I was hiding my bat but still the ball

 comes and hit my bat. If I play much worse than this everybody will

 find out.

 Bookie : (gets really tensed). OK I can understand. But please don't

 take last two runs.

 Hansie talks to strydom. Agarkar bowls... a juicy full toss. Strydom

 uses all his batting skills to restrict that one to a single. Scores

 are level.

 (cell rings)

 Bookie : OK. Past is past. Atleast finish it in a tie. I don't know

 what u are going to do u are not taking a single or u give u'r bat to

 the umpire.

 Cronje : OK. OK. Don't worry this time I will! see to it we are not

 taking the single. Let it be obvious also. I am not taking the single.

 Agarkar bowls, unfortunately he bowls a no ball. South Africa wins the match.

 Bookie goes mad and Hansie faints in the field itself.

 Moral - With a team like ours, who needs to fix a match