The ICC has been carrying out investigations on deep rooted corruption in Sri Lankan cricket but amid that, its Anti Corruption Unit official Alex Marshall revealed an alarming fact: most of the bookies indulging in corrupt practices are Indians.

Earlier this week, legendary Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya became the first high profile player from the island nation to be charged for violating ICC’s anti-corruption code. Even though Jayasuriya has not been charged with fixing, he has been found guilty of non co-operation with investigating authorities.

Recently ICC’s ACU shared information about active corrupt bookies with England and Sri Lankan cricketers, currently involved in a limited overs series.

Asked if all active corrupt bookies are local, ICC’s General Manager ACU, Marshall, told ESPN Cricinfo: “In Sri Lanka it was both local and Indian corrupt bookies. In most other parts of the world it is mostly corrupt Indian bookies.”

Marshall’s revelations even though alarming is not surprising after Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria on Thursday admitted having taken money from an Indian bookmaker Anu Bhatt to fix matches.

Even when the match fixing scandal first came to fore in 2000, most of the corrupt bookies hanging around the players were believed to be of Indian origin.

“During the briefing (to England and Sri Lanka players), we showed names and pictures of active corrupt bookies in cricket who were trying to get at players both in Sri Lanka and at tournaments elsewhere in the world,” Marshall said.

“So we have openly shared the current information of active corrupt bookies, we have shown their pictures, given their names and details. This way we felt the players are better informed. The exercise has already lead to new information coming forward from the teams.”

Marshall said that ICC is currently monitoring “12-20 active corrupt bookies” while there is suspicion on at least six, who the players should be wary of.

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