Ex-Mumbai first-class player Robin Morris arrested for betting in Dream11 IPL matches

Former Mumbai and Odisha first-class cricketer Robin Morris has been arrested by for his alleged involvement in illegal betting in Mumbai during the Dream11 IPL 2020. The 44-year-old Morris played 42 first-class matches for Mumbai in his career. The Canadian-born cricketer made his first-class debut for Mumbai during the 1997–98 Ranji Trophy season. He was also a part of the India U-19 team from 1995 to 1996. 

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Robin Morris booked in Dream11 IPL betting scandal

According to InsideSport, Mumbai's suburban area, Versova's police department have said that they conducted a raid on the Yari Road, the house of former Mumbai cricketer, Robin Morris after receiving some information regarding illegal activities going on at his premises. Three people, including Morris, were caught and found to be involved in "taking bets on a Dream11 IPL match,” said a senior officer. Laptops and cellphones have been were seized from the flat by the police and the three people involved have been booked under provisions of the IPC and Gambling Act. A magistrate court sent them to police custody.

This is not Robin's first brush with the law. The cricketer, along with four other people was arrested in December 2019, for kidnapping and extorting a person named Shyam Talreja. The police had said that Morris and his accomplices kidnapped the loan agent, who had earlier denied Morris a loan. They then proceeded to extort him for 2 lakh rupees - the amount Morris had paid as processing fee before the loan was rubbished. 

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Morris was also alleged to have been involved in match-fixing by the ICC. It was alleged that Morris had bribed a groundsman at the Galle International Stadium, Sri Lanka during various matches from 2016 to 2018. The bribe involved the groundsman altering the conditions of the pitch and reporting back to Morris, who would then benefit off of it by betting on the matches. The allegedly altered matches involve Sri Lanka's Test series against India and Australia.   

Robin Morris used to be a part of the now-defunct Indian Cricket League that began alongside the Indian Premier League. He played for the Mumbai Champs while the league was functional. Morris never broke into the senior men's cricket side, in any form. He played his last first-class cricket match during the 2004-05 Irani Cup. Morris quit cricket at the age of 31 after becoming entangled in an Indian Cricket League controversy. 

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Mumbai vs Delhi Final

The Mumbai IPL team will take on first-time finalists, Delhi, in the final of the Dream11 IPL 2020 at 7:30 pm on Tuesday at the Dubai International Stadium. Mumbai defeated Delhi in the first qualifier to gain direct entry into the final while Delhi had a slightly more arduous path. Shreyas Iyer and his team had to beat a resurgent Hyderabad side last night to make it to their first-ever final in the tournament. 

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Image Credits: ICL Website