Three Indian Players Arrested for Spot-Fixing in IPL
May 16, 2013
Indian international fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two teammates have been arrested for spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), patient a report said on Thursday.
Sreesanth, 30, was arrested by Delhi police in Mumbai along with fellow bowlers Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila on charges of spot-fixing, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said.
The arrests were made at a hotel where the team was staying after a match on Wednesday night against the Mumbai Indians.
All of them play for the Rajasthan Royals and a statement from the team confirmed that three of their players had been called in for investigation over spot-fixing charges, without confirming their identities.
“We are completely taken in by surprise … we will fully co-operate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation,” said the statement.
The BCCI said the IPL Governing Council had met and decided to suspend the three players pending an inquiry. “As of now, the three players Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila and Sreesanth stand suspended pending enquiry. All information required to bring the persons involved to book will be collected and strictest action will be taken, if found guilty,” a press release from the board said.
ICC Chief Executive, Mr David Richardson, said: “The ICC will provide full support to the BCCI and Delhi Police in this investigation. The BCCI’s decision to suspend its three cricketers on corruption charges is a clear indicator of the ICC and its Members’ zero-tolerance approach.
“The ICC and its Members have collectively taken measures to tighten vigilance, strengthen our anti-corruption codes and increase player education programmes as well as offering strict penalties to those found guilty of illegal conduct.
“As such, it is disappointing to see that despite the extensive education programmes delivered by the ICC and the BCCI, there still appears to be some players who remain vulnerable to temptations. We have always maintained that the real battle is against the unscrupulous individuals who are preying on the susceptible players.”
There was no immediate confirmation of the report from the police.
Sreesanth, who played the last of his 27 Tests against England two years ago, is no stranger to controversy, and was famously slapped by his teammate Harbhajan Singh during a match in 2008.
Sreesanth has also played 53 one-day internationals.