After the reported involvement of Pakistani players in match-fixing, a new allegation has surfaced involving a leading batsman of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
IPL officials verified that a leading batsman had played so suspiciously that they could not explain his behaviour.
The Australian newspaper quoted two IPL officials as saying the performances were highly suspect.
They did not want him named for fear that it could lead to retribution in India. One official claimed that the player’s performances were “puzzling”, particularly scoring slowly towards the end of an innings.
The report said the batsman consistently under-performed and often appeared uninterested or distracted. The officials revealed that the IPL franchise owners often complained about matches being rigged, and claimed that the player in question had to be moved up the order for the good of the team. “He has been under the scanner for a while,” the paper quoted an official as saying.
When contacted, a top BCCI and IPL official dismissed the report. “The Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the International Cricket Council was present during the tournament and it has given a clean chit to the tournament. So how can anyone say the matches were fixed?” the BCCI official said.
The issue of fixing matches came to light after a News of the World sting showed that Pakistani cricketers collaborated with match-fixers to deliberately bowl no-balls at agreed times, allowing bettors to place wagers in the knowledge they could not lose.
— With agency inputs
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