ICC dismisses India match-fixing claims

ICC has no reason or evidence to require an investigation into Pak-India World Cup match, says Haroon Lorgat.


Afp March 12, 2012

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council on Monday dismissed a claim in a British newspaper that Indian bookmakers were fixing the results of English county games and overseas fixtures.

The chief executive of the sport's world governing body, Haroon Lorgat, described a report in Britain's Sunday Times that it was probing last year's World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan as "baseless and misleading".

"The ICC has no reason or evidence to require an investigation into this match," he said in an emailed statement to media.

"It is indeed sad for spurious claims to be made which only serve to cause doubt on the semi-final of one of the most successful ICC Cricket World Cups ever."

The weekly claimed on Sunday that it had uncovered evidence that tens of thousands of pounds (dollars) was on offer to players to throw part or all of international matches, including the crunch semi-final between the bitter South Asian rivals.

India won the match and went on to beat Sri Lanka in the final.

One New Delhi-based bookmaker was quoted as saying that English county cricket was a "good new market" because matches were low-profile. Money was on offer to batsmen to score slowly and bowlers to concede runs in a set pattern, the report said.

The allegations came just weeks after former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield became the first English cricketer to be jailed for corruption, after admitting accepting money to fix a match against Durham in September 2009. Last year, Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were also jailed in Britain for their role in a separate "spot-fixing" scandal concerning a 2010 Test match against England.

COMMENTS (46)

Hadi Ansari | 12 years ago | Reply

English paper accused not only players but also officials of involvement in match fixing during last years world cup.In exercise of their right ICC is justified in denying the allegation made by a well respected British newspaper but in all fairness ICC must ask the newspaper to show them the credible evidence in it's possession.After all the objective of ICC,media and fans is identical. Pointing fingers towards involvement of officials must be taken extremely seriously.

Indian | 12 years ago | Reply

@Safeer-e-Hussain: The match that was fixed was supposedly the semifinal match between India and Pakistan. Since the winning side does not need to accept money to win and since the loosing side has all the reason to accept the money to loose, you know who should obviously be at fault of accepting bribe to take the 'Ghairath' of their country..... In between the lines - "Afridi dropped an easy catch of Tendulkar in the match whose innings later went on to win the match for india... So you know who fixed the match??? The one who dropped an easy catch or the one who won the match?????" The Man of the match should have actually been Afridi (from Indian side!!!!)

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