ICC CHARGES BHATINDA-BASED UMPIRE FOR BREACHING CORRUPTION CODE

: International Cricket Council (ICC) has charged Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) umpire Jatin Kashyap,38, with breaching its anti-corruption code following an investigation into “international matches in 2022”.

Kashyap has been charged with two counts of the ICC AntiCorruption Code which requires him to give a reply to the cricket body by June 1. ICC’s anti-corruption unit has alleged that Kashyap, who hails from Bathinda, approached an international cricketer during the Asia Cup qualifiers held in Oman in August 2022. The ICC representative from their anti-corruption unit, Steve Richardson had sent an email to Kashyap for a meeting in New Delhi in September, followed by notifications in October, November and December to explain his side of the story. Kashyap, however, failed to meet the ICC official on all occasions.

Speaking on the charges, Kashyap said, “I was unwell and later busy, so could not go to the meetings with the ICC official. I do not know, what I am being investigated for. I have not visited Oman ever in my life. But, I am ready to cooperate with the investigation and will send my reply before June 1.”

A former cricketer Kashyap has faced match-fixing allegations in the past. During Rajputana Cricket T20 League held in Rajasthan in 2017, he was arrested by the Jaipur police in connection with match-fixing charges. Later, he got out of jail on bail.

“That case is still on in the court there. I do not know what will be the outcome of the case. They could not produce evidence,” Kashyap added. He has been suspended from cricket activities by the PCA for the time being.