‘Caught Out: Crime. Corruption. Cricket.’ documentary review:  The cinematic retelling of Indian cricket’s match-fixing saga feels incomplete

A review of Netflix documentary ‘Caught Out: Crime Corruption Cricket’

Nearly 23 years after the muck of cricket match-fixing in India was uncovered by the Delhi Police, comes a new documentary on Netflix recounting that period from the people who were involved in it from all sides.

Sports journalists who were the envy of plenty for being paid to do what they love – watch cricket – were suddenly jolted out of their familiar zones and had to take on the roles of investigative reporters. As renowned sports journalist Sharda Ugra admits in the film  Caught Out, “when it came to issues like betting, I was completely naive.”

The match-fixing saga in Indian cricket towards the late 90s and early 2000s turned several cricket fans away from the game for good. But many others were in a state of denial. A few bad apples, on and off the field, would not impact the integrity of the those who represented their countries with honour and honesty. The game always finds ways to draw you back.

One should remember that Indian cricket in the 90s was not floating in cash, unlike in the last 15 years, thanks to the IPL. So the temptation to pocket some extra quid from under the table was too tempting for some players who did not come from wealth.

While cricket’s ruling bodies have since increased their vigilance, why should one visit or revisit that era now? As cricket draws more new fans, born post-2000, it is important to know about Indian cricket’s dark past too. Is it possible to condense it all over 77 minutes of film? Probably not.

Cricket fans from the preceding generations are bound to roll their eyes, as the film tells them what they already know. But do bear in mind that this is going out to a global audience. For the uninitiated, the film gives you the basics, as told by the journalists who blew the lid on match-fixing like Aniruddha Bahal.

The film aptly begins with the writer who broke the story in the June 1997 cover of  Outlook magazine, titled “India’s Worst Kept Secret”, which set the tone for the Tehelka tapes, the CBI investigation and the subsequent bans on superstar national captains Hansie Cronje and Mohammad Azharuddin, all of which are covered in the film.