India TV sting expose on T20 umpires

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.