No evidence third Test was fixed, says ICC expert
Cricket’s chief anti-corruption investigator believes there is “no evidence” that the third Test has been corrupted following claims in The Sun that bookies had offered a ‘spot fix’ during the match.
Alex Marshall, general manager of the International Cricket Council anti-corruption unit and former chief constable of Hampshire police, is assessing the evidence handed to him by the newspaper but he is satisfied at this stage there is no threat to the third Test.
“There’s no evidence, either from The Sun or via our own intelligence, to suggest the current Test match has been corrupted,” he said. “At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that any players in this Test have been in contact with the alleged fixers.
“We are now working through the rest of the information from The Sun as part of what will be a wideranging investigation and we will map this against our own existing intelligence and live investigations to look for any corroboration or cross over. We are taking these allegations very seriously and will follow the processes of a thorough investigation. We will look for clear and usable evidence that proves or disproves the allegations made.”
Marshall was in Australia during the second Test in Adelaide and met with Australian federal police, although the meetings were nothing to do with this investigation. It also emerged last week that the ICC was pursuing seven live fixing cases and that three international captains had been approached by bookies in recent months.
The allegations in The Sun led to hastily arranged statements before the start of play in Perth from the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
James Sutherland, chief executive of Cricket Australia, said: “There’s no substance to these allegations or justification to suspect that this Test match or indeed the Ashes series is subject to corrupt activities. My comments are based on a briefing I’ve had from Alex Marshall and I don’t think anyone should believe that we’re complacent.”
The Sun published undercover video footage of a four-month investigation with interviews conducted at hotels in New Delhi and Dubai with two men claiming to be involved in illegal gambling. During the video, information on fixes is estimated to be worth around $150,000 (£112,000). There is also mention of fixing “four to five” Big Bash League matches.