The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) strongly denied the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) was investigating a report submitted by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) about Suresh Raina’s links with a woman who allegedly had connections with a bookie.
Sunday Times, a British daily, claimed that Raina was seen with the woman "known to be an associate of a man allegedly linked to a bookmaker on more than one night".
The paper also reported that the ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) is probing over BCCI keeping quiet over a report from SLC about the incident.
However, the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan strongly refuted the claims. "The BCCI would like to clarify that it has received no such report from SLC. The claims being made by a section of the media are totally baseless and false," Srinivasan said in a statement.
The secretary added that it was "a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of a player who is excelling on the field".
While SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told the Hindustan Times that he was "unaware of any such report", another SLC official, preferring anonymity, said, "no incident was reported during India's 52-day tour to Sri Lanka".
Though the daily reported that Raina wasn't suspected of any 'wrongdoing', it mentioned that the ICC was investigating the reasons for SLC sharing the report with BCCI before handing it over to the ICC, as stated in the ICC anti-corruption code. An ICC spokesperson refused to comment on the claims.
{{/usCountry}}Though the daily reported that Raina wasn't suspected of any 'wrongdoing', it mentioned that the ICC was investigating the reasons for SLC sharing the report with BCCI before handing it over to the ICC, as stated in the ICC anti-corruption code. An ICC spokesperson refused to comment on the claims.
{{/usCountry}}BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla clarified the identity of the woman.
"The woman is Raina's agent and the BCCI has not received any complaint either from the SLC or ICC," Shukla said. On their tour of Sri Lanka in July-August, India played a three-Test series against the hosts and a tri-series that also involved New Zealand.