ICC asks India to submit match-fixing probe report (2 July 1999)

2 July 1999

ICC asks India to submit match-fixing probe report

The Dawn

Karachi, July 1: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will ask the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to submit the report of investigations that were carried out in connection with the match-fixing and betting allegations.

The BCCI had appointed Justice Chandarchur to investigate the charges of match-fixing that were levelled by former Test allrounder Manoj Prabhakar.

The investigations were conducted in 1997 but all the players were exonerated of charges that have rocked international cricket.

Unlike Pakistan where the government has appointed a judicial commission on the request of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the charges were dropped without examining the bookies. In fact, only the players were asked and the matter was closed after just one hearing.

The ICC has constituted a nine-member commission that will conduct its own investigations into the allegations. Lord Griffiths is the chairman of the committee while former chief justice of Pakistan Justice Nasim Hasan Shah is Pakistan's representative.

"The Indian cricket board will be asked to provide the report from its inquiry held two years ago and this will also be reviewed by the commission chairman," the ICC said in a press release issued after the conclusion of a three-day summit held at Lord's last week.

The media release, recently issued by ICC chief executive David Richards, added that the commission has received the full report of inquiry in Australia and has that under review.

Two players Shane Warne and Mark Waugh were fined A$8,000 and A$6,000 respectively in late 1994 for passing on weather and pitch report to a bookie in September that year. The two players later accused Salim Malik of offering them bribe, a charge that was dismissed by inquiry officer Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebraheem in his investigations in 1995.

The ICC commission will also review that inquiry report of Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum who is presently investigating the charges of betting and match-fixing in Pakistan cricket. The commission resumed its investigations on Wednesday and has now summoned Salim Malik and Wasim Akram besides Javed Miandad on July 8.

The commission is expected to submit its report on Aug 6.

The ICC also awarded the Under-19 World Cup to Sri Lanka. The event will be held in January 2000 and 16 teams will take part. Other than the nine Test playing countries, the seven associate member nations will be selected on regional basis.

The top two teams from the European tournament to be held on Ireland this month; the top two from the Asian Cricket Council tournament in Singapore in early July and two from Africa (to be determined) and one from the Americas.

The ICC also decided to hold the ICC Trophy - the qualifying tournament for the World Cup - will be held in July 2001 in Toronto, Canada.

However, the number of countries qualifying for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa will be decided at next year's ICC meeting. The ICC plans to increase the qualifiers from three to seven.

The ICC also approved the induction of four new umpires and three match referees in its panel.

Riazuddin, Azhar Zaidi (Pakistan), B.C Cooray (Sri Lanka) and Asjit Jayaprakesh (India) were the new umpires while the match referees are Intikhab Alam, Col Naushad Ali (Pakistan) and Brian Hastings (New Zealand).

Bangladesh's request for Test status was deferred for next year. However, the ICC appreciated the improvement of the sport in that country aided by the organization of the International Cup and two victories in the World Cup. The nine Test playing countries decided in principle to assist Bangladesh in the form of sending their `A' teams there to play three-day and four-day fixtures.

The executive board of the ICC viewed with serious the recent incidences of crowd invasions of grounds and disruption to matches. The safety of players and umpires is of paramount importance, the ICC felt.

The ICC asked the countries to adopt the following policy:

"No spectator has a right to enter the field during play and until the players and umpires have left the field after play. No spectator has the right to throw any object at anyone, be they players, umpires or fellow spectators."

Future of Calcutta as a Test centre will, however, be discussed at September's Board meeting. "Sanctions in the form of removal of a ground's approval to hold international matches are to be seriously considered together with other measures to improve safety."

Calcutta's future hangs in the balance after the Asian Test Championship openers between Pakistan and India had to be completed in front of an empty stadium when the Indian fans hurdles stones and projectiles on the Pakistan team after watching their team face defeat.

The 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka at the same venue had to be stopped and later it was awarded to Sri Lanka after a riot as India face defeat.

Source :: The Dawn (www.dawn.com)