ENGLAND CONSIDERING LEGAL ACTION OVER FIX SLUR

ENGLISH cricket chiefs are considering suing TV station Al Jazeera over claims that three England players were involved in a plot to fix a Test match. Captain Joe Root (below) and coach Trevor Bayliss both called the claims, which centre on a ten-over period during the fifth Test against India in Chennai in December 2016, ‘outrageous’. ICC anti-corruption officials had been hoping to meet Al Jazeera staff this week to discuss the material in Cricket’s Match Fixers, broadcast on Sunday. But that may be delayed after Sri Lankan police opened criminal investigations into the programme’s revelation that an official at Galle Cricket Stadium was planning to ensure a doctored pitch for England’s Test there in November. A spokesman for Al Jazeera’s investigative unit told Sportsmail that they were ‘considering the ICC’s request for our unedited material’. But he added: ‘We will not take any steps that might compromise any civil or criminal proceedings that may follow.’ Tensions are running high between the two organisations after the ICC accused Al Jazeera of failing to share information with their anticorruption unit before transmission. However, the spokesman said: ‘This not only demonstrates a lack of understanding of investigative journalism, but also overlooks the fact that concerns about apparent shortcomings in the ICC’s own governance of the game are a significant theme (and cause for concern) in the programme itself.’ The ICC are already investigating the programme’s claims, which include the suggestion that two Australian cricketers were also guilty of spot-fixing during the Ranchi Test against India last year. It is understood they will speak to the England players implicated in the scandal. Only once those investigations are complete will the possibility of legal action be considered. Australia captain Tim Paine confirmed his belief that his country’s two players, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are innocent. ‘As far as I’m concerned, our players

have got nothing to worry about,’ he said. ‘I’m confident none of our players are involved.’ Meanwhile, Bayliss has insisted that news of the allegations did not affect England during their nine-wicket defeat by Pakistan in the first Test at Lord’s.

Sportsmail understands the three accused players knew for a month that the programme was due to be aired. ‘There’s been absolutely no chat about it in the changing room, so it would be wrong to blame that for the way we played,’ said Bayliss. ‘When we were told about it, the thought was that it was rubbish, they don’t know what they’re talking about. ‘There’s nothing we can do about it, so let’s concentrate instead on playing some good cricket.’