GAME BRACED FOR FRESH CORRUPTION CLAIMS

English cricket is preparing itself for more corruption allegations after it emerged that a new investigation into fixing by Al Jazeera will implicate a number of England players — including one who is still active.

Sportsmail revealed three months ago that the broadcasters were planning a follow-up to their first documentary in May, which alleged that England and Australian Test cricketers had fixed brackets in games in india in cahoots with illegal bookmakers. England Test captain Joe Root described the claims as ‘outrageous’, while Australian all-rounder glenn Maxwell (right) said he was ‘shocked’ and ‘hurt’ after he was later linked with the claims. Cricket Australia have already reacted to Al Jazeera’s latest investigation, which the board says includes ‘spot-fixing claims against current and former Australian players relating to historical matches in 2011’. Chief executive James sutherland said CA’s integrity unit had reviewed the investigation and ‘not identified any issues of corruption relating to current or former Australian players’. Details of any allegations relating to England players remain sketchy, with Al Jazeera remaining tight-lipped ahead of transmission, possibly within the next few weeks. But it is understood a home Test from the past few years will come under the spotlight. An ECB insider said they were aware that Al Jazeera were looking to make further allegations but that they had heard nothing to make them doubt the integrity of any England player. The insider added that if they received any information, they would pass it to the iCC. The latest twist in cricket’s battle against corruption comes as the iCC used Twitter to appeal for public help in identifying Aneel Munawar, the suspected match-fixer who featured heavily in Al Jazeera’s initial broadcast. Munawar is understood to work for D Company, the Mumbai crime syndicate which controls illegal betting on the subcontinent. Sportsmail published photos of Munawar hanging around hotel lobbies during the 2012 World Twenty20 in sri lanka. Recordings of conversations between him and bookmakers in india are thought to be central to Al Jazeera’s follow-up. The iCC also expressed their frustration at Al Jazeera’s refusal to pass on all their material as they seek to get to the bottom of the claims. ‘The absence of any co-operation from the broadcaster has slowed the investigation,’ said Alex Marshall, the head of the iCC’s anticorruption unit. ‘But we have made good progress in identifying people of significant interest including people already of interest to the ACU. ‘We have been able to discount a number of claims made in the programme and continue to pursue other aspects.’ Marshall added that his team had used an ‘independent betting analysis company to examine the claims made about particular matches’. Al Jazeera insist they cannot pass on material while a second programme is in the offing and remain committed to exposing match-fixing in cricket.