Umpire Holder in cash offer claims

FORMER Royton CC hero John Holder has claimed he was offered £10,000 to manipulate a one-day international in 1993.

Holder, professional at the Paddock in the 1970s and as an amateur a member of the club’s CLL title-winning side in 1980, is a former top-flight umpire.

He said he was asked to help affect proceedings in a match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Sharjah in 1993.

The 68 year old, who was Royton president from 1989 to 1991, made the claims during an appearance on the BBC’s Test Match Special programme.

“They said if I can somehow lull the Sri Lanka batsmen into putting on a partnership of 85 they would give me £10,000 in cash,” Holder said. “I said, ‘You’ve got the wrong person’.”

Barbados-born Holder, a former Hampshire bowler, became a first-class umpire in 1983 and stood in 11 Tests and 19 one-day internationals between 1988-2001.

With spot-fixing back to the fore amid the scandal affecting the Indian Premier League, Holder was asked if he had ever been asked to affect a game.

“Players and umpires who get involved in match-fixing have got to realise there’s no such thing as easy money. Once you get into that, your career is ruined. You would lose your self-respect, the players and commentators would know.

“I couldn’t live my life looking over my shoulder, and I’d always be remembered as a cheat, so I had to say no, and reported it.”