ICC dismisses fixing claims by Al Jazeera
THE International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday (17) there were “insufficient grounds” to charge five people in an Al Jazeera TV show about corruption in the game.
Cricket’s Match Fixers, broadcast by Al Jazeera on May 27, 2018, alleged that two matches were fixed – India versus England in Chennai in 2016 and India versus Australia in Ranchi in 2017.
The ICC anti-corruption unit’s investigation, which focused on the claims made by the programme, the suspects who were part of it and how the show gathered evidence, concluded there was “insufficient credible and reliable evidence” to pursue the matter.
The ICC engaged four independent betting and cricketing specialists to analyse the claims. All four concluded that the passages of play identified in the programme as being allegedly fixed were entirely predictable.
“There are fundamental weaknesses in each of the areas we have investigated that make the claims unlikely and lacking in credibility,” said ICC general manager Alex Marshall. “We have been unable to assess the full context of the conversations that took place beyond what was on screen versus what the participants claim actually happened.
“This, combined with the absence of other credible evidence, means there are insufficient grounds to bring charges.”
However, one of those named in the show, Sri Lanka fast bowler Dilhara Lokuhettige, was handed an eight-year ban last month on a separate charge of match-fixing.