Match-fixing charges come to India again

Dalmiya said `yes’ to the question whether “offers were made” but refused to confirm the name of the person, which the tabloid says is Aushim Khetarpal, owner of a `sports promotion’ company Radiant Sports Management.

“The matter is under investigation. Beyond this I do not want to say anything on this subject,” Dalmiya said.

The tabloid has reported that Lewis was made an offer of$300,000 by Khetarpal to “persuade England players to throw away the Test.” Lewis has told the paper that he was asked to offer similar amounts to Alec Stewart and Alan Mullaly for dropping catches and bowling wides. The paper also writes that Khetarpal and a businessman checked into a hotel in Leicester where the New Zealand team was staying. He is alleged to have offered Fleming $ 300,000 to fix the Test.

According to the report, Khetarpal has been so lax that he has not only left his visiting card with these players but even his letterheads.

Dalmiya, speaking from his Calcutta residence, said the ICC is very disturbed about these developments and has formed a Code of Conduct Commission with Lord Hughs Griffths, a former MCC president and a judge, to head the panel. The Commission has members from all the nine Test playing nations, with N K P Salve being the Indian representative and former Test player Richie Benaud the Australian representative on the Commission.

Lord Griffths, on receipt of thiscomplaint, decided to rope in the Scotland Yard for proper investigations. Though the Commission has nine members but for the purpose of avoiding delays, a three-member panel has also been formed, with Lord Griffths as the head and the other two members from England and South Africa.

The Commission will meet in the third week of October to take stock of what all has been done on these match-fixing charges.“The commission has also asked the Indian Board to submit the Justice Y V Chandrachud report, which absolved the Indian players of any wrongdoing, and the report from the Australian Board on the (Mark) Waugh-(Shane) Warne revelations,” Dalmiya said. “If the Commission feels that these findings are incomplete or some questions have been left unanswered, it can ask the respective Boards to reopen the probe,” he said and added, “Before my tenure as the ICC president ends, I am determined to root out this evil called bookies and match-fixing from the game.”

Well, after another round of allegations,this time right in the heart of the traditional `home’ of cricket, and with Scotland Yard taking on the investigations, there is greater need for the international cricket establishment to act and convince the world this time they mean business.

The story according to Khetarpal

Aushim Khetarpal says the allegations against him is a `frame-up’ and he will sue the News of the World for damages worth $1 million. Though not denying that he met Chris Lewis and Stephen Fleming in London with his friend, who he claims is a film producer, Khetarpal, said: “Lewis is a drug addict and he must have sold this story to the newspaper for a huge sum of money.”

Khetarpal, who was traced today in Colombo, where the third and final Australia-Sri Lanka Test is being held, said: “I am a sports promoter and I organise cricket matches in India. I was involved with organising a benefit match for the Punjab Cricket Assciation secretary, M P Pandove, which had to be cancelled as the Sri Lankan side withdrew atthe last moment. The match was to be held between Sri Lanka and India at Mohali in July. Since New Zealand was coming here, in September, I went to England to contact the team and try to arrange the benefit game between them and India.

“I met Fleming and offered him a three-year contract to write a column for me and offered him $3,000. I also requested him to give me a date on their tour to India for this benefit match. If I had to make him the kind of offer which the News of the World has reported, I would not have been staying in the same hotel and nor I am that foolish to have left my business card with him.”

As far as the Lewis story goes, Khetarpal says: “In England we met this newsagent called Kamlesh Patel, who is a good friend of Lewis. He offered to arrange this meeting and I made a similar offer to him. I asked Lewis if he could act as a coordinator for the benefit match and arrange a Rest of the World team or an England team for the benefit match. I made an offer of $70,000 to 80,000for the team. This is the amount which the Indian team too was offered for the benefit match with Ajay Jadeja being the coordinator from the Indian side. Lewis agreed to make an attempt to rope in players. Why on earth should he otherwise give me his address as well as his mobile number? I have his mobile number written in his own hand with me.”

Whatever may be truth of Khetarpal’s story, there is a great need to get to the bottom of this whole episode so that the real culprits are caught.