investigating the 2011 World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan
over fears of match-fixing.
The Sunday Times ran a story which claimed to expose further
corruption incricket, including taped conversations with a Delhi
bookmaker. The newspaper reported that the bookmaker alleged the
India-Pakistan semi-final in Mohali was fixed, although he offered no
evidence to support the claims.
However the ICC, which was quoted in support of the original Sunday
Times story without specific mention of the semi-final, said there was
no evidence to prompt an investigation into the match.
"The story carried by the newspaper, in which it has claimed that the
ICC is investigating the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final between
India and Pakistan, is baseless and misleading. The ICC has no reason
or evidence to require an investigation into this match," Haroon
Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said."It is indeed sad for spurious
claims to be made which onlyserve to cause doubt on thesemi-final."
New Zealand Cricket also came out strongly, rejecting claims in the
article made by the bookmaker that some of their players were involved
in fixing. "We have completeconfidence that the claims made are
baseless and have no credibility," NZC chief executive David White
said.
The Sunday Times story focussed on the alleged roleof Bollywood
actresses being used as honey traps for international cricketers, and
also included comments from bookmakers about howEnglish domestic
cricket is now an easy target.In the past six months, jail sentences
were handed out to three Pakistan players - Salman Butt, captain at
the time, and two fast bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for
spot-fixing in 2010; MeryvnWestfield became the first player to
receive a custodialsentence for fixing in English county cricket; and,
in the High Court in London, Chris Cairns' libel action against the
former IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, brought allegations about
corruption in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League into focus.
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