Match-fix evidence demand

THE International Cricket Council will meet with broadcaster Al Jazeera tomorrow and demand all evidence it has in relation to match-fixing allegations levelled at Australian and English batsmen.

New Aussie skipper Tim Paine yesterday said none of his teammates had “anything to worry about” after the allegations, which centred around Test matches against India in 2016 and 2017, were aired in the documentary on Sunday.

Would-be match fixers were filmed declaring that two unidentified Aussie batsmen were under instructions to bat slowly at unidentified times of a Test in Ranchi last year, which ended in a draw.

Cricket Australia declared there was no “credible evidence linking Australian players to corruption in the game”, and Paine said the claims were “unsubstantiated.’’

“As far as I am concerned our players have nothing to worry about,” Paine said in Brisbane before flying out to England for a one-day series.

“I have never seen anything like it, to be honest. I cannot speak on behalf of all our guys. I certainly know it has never been spoken about in Australian dressing rooms I have been involved in.’’

Al Jazeera’s allegations are that during certain periods of the game some Australian batsmen scored at a rate specified by fixers for the purposes of betting, and that there would be less than two runs scored in the final overs of the session.

That only happened twice when Australia batted in Ranchi, during the first innings, and in the four overs proceeding the final over slowdown, in both instances, the Aussie batsmen scored 19 and 18 runs.

The alleged match-fixers also suggested that three English batsman had done the same during a match against India in Chennai in 2016.

Those allegations were labelled “outrageous” by England coach Trevor Bayliss and emphatically denied by captain Joe Root.

“It’s not anything for the guys to worry about,” said Root, who labelled the allegations “ridiculous”.