Cricket bosses deny corruption claim

The head of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit says there is no evidence that the third Ashes test match between Australia and England has been corrupted, or any indication that players have had contact with alleged match fixers.

There was shock in Australian cricket at a report from UK newspaper The Sun of an alleged spot-fixing attempt on the Perth test, which started yesterday.

Responding to reports of match fixing, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said there was no evidence the Perth test or the Ashes series had been compromised.

The ICC has started an investigation after receiving a dossier from the paper but Alex Marshall, its anti-corruption chief, played down claims that the third test had been affected by fixers as Sutherland declared the body had ‘‘absolute confidence in our players’’.

‘‘We have now received all materials relating to The Sun investigation,’’ Marshall said.

‘‘We take the allegations extremely seriously and they will be investigated by the ICC anti-corruption unit working with anti-corruption colleagues from member countries.

‘‘From my initial assessment of the material, there is no evidence, either from The Sun or via our own intelligence, to suggest the current test match has been corrupted. At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that any players in this test have been in contact with the alleged fixers.’’

Sutherland was briefed by Marshall, who is in London, in a conference call that also included ICC chief executive David Richardson and England and Wales Cricket Board chief Tom Harrison.

‘‘We have absolute confidence in our players, our team officials and others

"There is no tolerance and no place for that in our game."

Steve Smith, Australian captain

involved in the game,’’ Sutherland said. ‘‘There is nothing to suggest any suspicion about our players.’’

Asked whether he was aware whether the names of any Australian players featured in the dossier, he said: ‘‘I think it’s a matter for Alex to talk further about. But what I’ve heard from Alex specifically today is that he does not believe there is any substance to these allegations.’’

Australian test captain Steve Smith was surprised by the report.

‘‘I saw that this morning,’’ Smith told ABC Grandstand. ‘‘Obviously there is no tolerance and no place for that in our game. As far as I know there is nothing that has been going on or anything like that.’’

The Sun published purported evidence of two bookmakers offering to sell details of rigged periods of play for betting purposes.

The report also alleges a former Australian player and an Australian cricket administrator, both not named for legal reasons, were involved in a plot to fix Big Bash League matches.

Sutherland said he was not aware of any past spot-fixing attempts in tests featuring Australia or in the BBL.