Indian bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth practices during a training session at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on January 1, 2011 on the eve of the third test between South Africa and India. PHOTO: AFP
Test discard Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was among a trio of players from the Rajasthan Royals arrested on Thursday over allegations they agreed to bowl badly during the Indian Premier League in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars.
But speaking to AFP, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said players for some of the other eight teams involved in the ongoing domestic Twenty20 competition were now under suspicion.
"It is still early but some other teams are also involved" in the rigging, Kumar said by phone.
"It is not established yet but we are looking into that," the police chief said.
Spot-fixing is an illegal activity where a specific part of a game, but not the outcome, is fixed.
Sreesanth, who has played 27 Tests for India, is alleged to have been paid four million rupees (about $75,000) to give away 14 runs in an over while playing for the Rajasthan Royals against the Kings XI Punjab on May 9.
His teammate Ankeet Chavan had also allegedly agreed to give away the same number of runs in a match Wednesday against the Mumbai Indians in exchange for $110,000.
The third player, Ajit Chandila, was believed to have been paid $36,000 for giving away a set number of runs in a match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Pune Warriors.
Kumar did not disclose the identity of teams now under the widened police investigation but said he was "hopeful" of a breakthrough.
The Mail Today newspaper also quoted Kumar as saying "there could be much more grime and dirt than we anticipated."
"Many more players and teams have now come under our microscope; the conspiracy is much, much larger," Kumar told the daily.
The three players have already been suspended and authorities were expected to impose lifetime bans at a meeting later Sunday.
COMMENTS (9)
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Let us at least give credit to Delhi Police and relevant government regulators who few years ago might perhaps had their own cut in this operation, instead they arrest and file cases against those influential rich and popular cricket heroes.
@Anwar you are 100% right on you point @Asim Chill out man, its just Entertainment, However cricket had lost its values long ago, when they used cheerleaders for fun. For me i am not a fan of IPL because there is Lack of "Boom Boom Afridi"
It is entertainment, maybe cheap entertainment but that is exactly what people want. Just like the Bollywood films and the "klatch and kitch" that goes with it. Education does not help one bit Sorry and really "Chill the water bottle.
Totally Agreed with water bottle....this show is big disrespect to cricket. Its not cricket its vulgur pomp clubbed with trillions of dollars....making it attactive for people who have literally lost moral values.... IPL would be the last event on earth i want to watch, though im cricket lover. But being Pakistani one should have enough self respect not to watch this show primerly for the reason, that Pakistan was disowned by IPL managment, be it Govt or Corporate crocks....
Say NO to IPL...
@Anwar:
"ipl is entertainment at its best and has a following now which is only next to big tournaments like the world cup and champions trophy. "
You can have a shallow intellect and argue that it is entertainment. However, an honest person cannot overlook the sleaze behind it.
So, I think instead of asking me to chill, what you need to do is get a proper education. Unfortunately the word 'chill' has acquired a bad connotation. 'Chill', the way you have used it means, don't look at at the injustice, don't oppose those who break the rules, be blind to the suffering of others.
And as far as its huge following goes, it consists of about 1.6 billion of us immature South Asians (mind you, most of us do not even have an education).
Also, if you are a Pakistani, answer me this : Don't you feel humiliated by IPL that it has snubbed your players? And that too, in one of the years, they invited your players to bid and humiliated them by not selecting even one of them.
Yes of Course, The whole Indian Team is involved in fixing ......
@Water Bottle:
:) your bottle seems to be empty. fill some water and chill out. ipl is entertainment at its best and has a following now which is only next to big tournaments like the world cup and champions trophy.
Of course it is. IPL is corrupt to the core.
If it were under the government's control, we could have shut it down.
Unfortunately, IPL is under the clutches of rich, greedy, corrupt corporate dictatorship. This ugly, vulgar event can only be brought to its knees by educating more and more Indians.
Unfortunately, the nouveau riche of India, care only about their Pepsi and Dominos while they laze out their evenings watching this atrocious event.
As long as BCCI is controlling it, it will keep protecting the high profile players/owners/businessmen involved in corruption.
We are a shameless country where we turn one match fixer into a politician and another match fixer into a TV celebrity. Shame on us!
Here's some food for thought. Imagine how many crores are being exchanged right now, to hush up this wildfire.
And shame on Pakistanis who watch this event with no self-respect, despite being humiliated by the IPL.