Umpires caught in India TV sting operation suspended

MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said the umpires named in the sting operation conducted by news broadcaster India TV have been suspended pending further enquiry.

The news channel had recently conducted a sting wherein six international umpires from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were caught on camera agreeing to fix Twenty20 matches in exchange for bribes.

"The International Cricket Council (ICC) and its relevant Full Member Boards have agreed not to appoint any of the umpires named in a sting operation recently conducted by India TV to any domestic or international cricket matches pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the allegations made," the ICC said in a statement.

"The officials named are not contracted by the ICC and those Boards which employ and nominate the umpires directly will conduct the investigations as a matter of urgency," the ICC clarified.

The sting operation called "Operation World Cup" had revealed how umpires Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka were willing to fix decisions and share information like pitch report, weather report, toss report and playing elevens in exchange for money.

The accused have however denied the allegations saying that they were trapped by the channel. The news broadcaster had said that the seventh umpire Sharfudoullah Shahid Saikat of Bangladesh refused to give any favour in lieu of money.