Six ICC umpires have been caught on camera allegedly willing to fix T20 matches for money, a sting by an Indian news channel reveals.
A television sting operation today claimed to have uncovered six international umpires allegedly willing to fix matches for money in the just concluded Twenty20 World Cup and Sri Lanka Premier League matches.
The Indian news channel showed video clips purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.
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The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the TV sting willing to fix matches, are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka.
Amongst the officials interrogated on camera, only Shah and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid represent the current umpire panel of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Ghauri and Shah have rubbished the allegations while Bangladesh Cricket Board President Mustafa Kamal said it will investigate the matter after getting the details.u00a0
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said none of the umpires mentioned in the sting was involved in any of the official matches at the just concluded World Twenty20.
The ICC said the Council and its relevant members have been made aware of the allegations made by India TV and asked the Channel to turn over any information which can assist the ICC s urgent investigations into this matter. u00a0
Six ICC umpires, including Pakistan's nadeem Ghauri, have been caught on camera allegedly willing to fix T20 matches for money, a sting by a Indian news channel reveals. Pic/AFP
The Channel showed visuals of its undercover reporters with the umpires, some of whom are purportedly making promises to give favourable decisions in lieu of financial benfits.u00a0
According to the channel, Shah offered to give decisions like "out", "not out" in any format of the game at both the international and domestic level. He has officiated in 40-plus ODIs, six Test matches as TV umpire and three Tests as reserve umpire. He also revealed that Pakistani batsman Nasir Jamshed "fixed" matches in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the channel said.
Ghauri, according to the channel, agreed to help Team India in all ways. As a quid pro quo, he agreed to take all amounts underhand in "black". He has stood in 43 ODIs, 14 Test matches and four T20 matches.u00a0The channel said Ghauri's countryman Siddiqui was also ready to get a decision in favour of India for money. Anees promised that he would manage the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to accept a decision favourable to India.
The channel, however, claimed that Sharfudoullah refused to give any favour in lieu of money offered by the undercover reporters.u00a0
Gallage, a Sri Lankan premier panel umpire who was the fourth umpire at India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match on September 17, agreed to give information on the match pitch report, weather and even the playing elevens of both teams for a payment of Rs 50,000, according to the channel.u00a0
Dissanayake went a step ahead. Gamini claimed that by providing liquor to Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) officials, one can get any work done.
Ghauri, who is an ICC International Panel umpire, has rubbished the allegations against him and claimed he has never officiated outside Pakistan. Bangladesh umpire Nadir Shah has also strongly refuted the allegations against him.
"I also came to know about it from the media. So, I am not in a position to make any comment. But if it (the allegations) are true. we will definitely investigate into it. But we have to wait until and unless we have the full details," Kamal said.
Shah on his part said, "I never fixed any match."
"Absolutely rubbish. If I am going to fix match, I will be caught some day by the ICC. They had posed as sponsors and had approached me. But I did not agree to them. No umpire fixes matches," he said.u00a0
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