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MUMBAI:
Rajat Sharma helmed Hindi news channel India TV has done it
again. The news channel has alleged that it has caught six
international umpires from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
on camera who are willing to fix Twenty20 matches in exchange
for bribes.
In
a sting operation, the six umpires who were exposed called
"Operation World Cup" are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees
Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini
Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka.
The news broadcaster said the seventh umpire Sharfudoullah
Shahid Saikat of Bangladesh refused to give any favour in
lieu of money.
The
entire sting operation was aired on Monday prime time on India
TV.
Earlier,
India TV had carried out a sting operation revealing how domestic
players were willing to indulge in corrupt practices in lieu
for money and other favours like getting a place in an IPL
team. The sting led to a probe by Anti-Corruption unit of
BCCI and the subsequent ban on five players.
The
India TV sting operation revealed how umpires were willing
to share information about match like pitch report, weather
report, toss report and playing elevens in exchange for money.
The
sting operation also alleged how newly created franchise leagues
like the Sri Lanka Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League
are susceptible to fixing. It must be noted that BPL is already
facing allegations of match fixing by certain players.
Bangladesh's
Nadir Shah, one of the umpires to be caught on camera, revealed
that Pakistan's opening batsman Nasir Jamshed 'fixed' several
matches during the Bangladesh Premier League.
Sri
Lankan umpire Sagara Gallage, who was the fourth umpire at
the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match on 17 September, had
agreed to reveal the match pitch report, weather report, toss
report, and even the playing elevens of both teams for a payment
of Rs 50,000.
The
channel alleged that he had promised to give decision against
Pakistani batsman Imran Nazir in Sri Lanka Premier League.
Galage also promised that he would get a decision in favour
of India with the help of match referee.
Pakistan's
Nadeem Ghauri was also willing to lend a helping hand to the
Indian team through favourable decisions.
The
International Cricket Council while asserting its zero tolerance
towards corruption said none of the umpires shown on the sting
were involved in ICC World Twenty20 games.
It
also urged India TV to share information that would help ICC
in its investigation.
"The
ICC and its relevant members have been made aware of the allegations
made by India TV this evening and calls on the station to
turnover any information which can assist the ICC's urgent
investigations into this matter," the ICC said in a statement.
"The
ICC re-iterates its zero-tolerance towards corruption whether
alleged against players or officials. The ICC confirms that
none of the umpires named were involved in any of the official
games of the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka."
Meanwhile,
Pakistani umpire Nadeem Ghauri said there is no truth in the
sting operation. He also said that he had not been in the
international panel for the past two years.
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