IN A sensational development late on Wednesday, the Nagpur Police Commissioner SPS Yadav stated that the police had enough evidence to suggest that West Indian cricketer Marlon Samuels was in touch with a known bookie named Mukesh Kochar and had made an attempt to fix the January 21 India vs West Indies one-dayer at Nagpur.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Yadav, however, said that there was no concrete evidence to suggest that the match had been fixed.
“We always alert our officials whenever such matches are held in Nagpur and make a watch list. We made elaborate arrangements to tap (the phones of) suspected cricket bookies and finally got a clue from room number 206 of Hotel Pride,” he said. Players from both teams stayed at the Pride Hotel there.
Yadav said he had sent a letter in this regard to Shashank Manohar, a vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Manohar, in Delhi at the moment for a BCCI meeting, said he was aware of the situation but had not received any letter in this regard.
Meanwhile, an ICC spokesman told HT from Dubai that they were aware of the situation and the organisation’s Anti-Corruption Unit was looking into the matter. “But from what we know, there is no evidence yet to suggest match-fixing,” he said. “Merely that he had contact with persons that the police were watching.” But sources also indicated that a second cricketer might also be involved.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, an ICC spokesman told HT from Dubai that they were aware of the situation and the organisation’s Anti-Corruption Unit was looking into the matter. “But from what we know, there is no evidence yet to suggest match-fixing,” he said. “Merely that he had contact with persons that the police were watching.” But sources also indicated that a second cricketer might also be involved.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Tony Deyal, the West Indies Board corporate communications officer, said these were “just rumours and we will act when we receive official communication from the Indian Board or the ICC. We are dealing with the future of a young cricketer, and we cannot do anything until we are sure.”