Cricket: Stars furious over Indian report

By RICHARD BOOCK

World cricket was again plunged into controversy yesterday as India's report into alleged corruption received its first public airing.

The report mentions cricketers from all test-playing nations apart from Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The names include former captains Martin Crowe (New Zealand), Alec Stewart (England) and Brian Lara (West Indies).

India's Central Bureau of Investigation reported that an Indian bookmaker named Mukesh Gupta had admitted trying to bribe the players. He also targeted Australians Dean Jones and Mark Waugh, as well as disgraced former South African captain Hansie Cronje.

A section of the report apparently includes claims that Stewart got £5000 ($18,000) and Crowe $US20,000 ($51,000) in exchange for information about pitch, weather and team composition.

Crowe said he was dismayed to have been linked to match-fixing.

"I'm shattered that my name is mentioned when you don't know what it's for," he said.

"I'll be more than interested to see what this report says ... the only incident I've ever had is with a so-called journalist in 1992."

The Press Trust of India news agency yesterday released what are purported to be excerpts of the 162-page report, which is expected to be made public today.

It said the bureau of investigation began its probe in May, a month after a worldwide scandal erupted following Cronje's sacking.

The South African has been banned for life by his country's cricket officials after admitting supplying information to bookmakers.

The agency said the bureau had concluded that former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin fixed matches with the help of team-mates Ajay Jadeja and Nayan Mongia.

The Indian team's former physiotherapist, Dr Ali Irani, "acted as a conduit for receiving payments on behalf of Azharuddin from Gupta and associates."



The bureau also said that allegations from Prabhakar that he was offered money by Indian great Kapil Dev to underperform in a match against Pakistan during the Singer Cup tournament in Sri Lanka in 1994 "had not been established."

However, the report was particularly critical of the Indian cricket board, suggesting the administration was apathetic in its response to the problem, if not directly involved.

"Although there is no concrete evidence to suggest the direct involvement of any of the members of the BCCI in match-fixing, their resolute indifference does give rise to suspicions that there was perhaps more than what meets the eye," the report said.

Indian Sports Minister Sukhdev Dhindsa said he would send the report to the board, seek its comments and arrange for a meeting to discuss the issue.

Jones, meanwhile, who has applied for the vacant Indian coaching position, said he had rejected approaches from an Indian player and bookmaker to throw a game in 1992, and had been subjected to detailed investigations since.

"This has got me off-guard ... there is one player throwing a lot of dirt over there trying to protect his backside at the moment," Jones said. "All my books are open, anyone can go through my place."

Jones said he had been vindicated by the earlier inquiries and was scathing of media reports in India linking him with match-fixing.

"Unfortunately, people are throwing arrows at me ... I've got nothing to do with it," he said. "I've never had any contact with illegal gambling syndicates."

Crowe, who retired five years ago, said he was astonished to be embroiled in the scandal.

"These people [bookmakers] never came into direct contact with the New Zealand team. But we did hear whispers of things from the subcontinent."

The controversy erupted only days after Australian captain Steve Waugh hit out at the ongoing speculation, saying he was tired of match-fixing talk overshadowing the game he had played most of his life.

"It's all rumour and innuendo and hearsay, nothing is concrete," he said. "I think it is [put up or shut up time] and I think everyone has had enough of it.

"Just when you think you've started to see some good cricket, we start talking about off-field stuff again. It doesn't do any good to anyone, it hangs over everyone in cricket, and it is a slight on the game."

Mark Waugh was not available for comment. However, his account of his involvement with an Indian bookmaker is well documented.

He admitted to taking money from a bookie in 1995, as did Shane Warne. In return the pair provided information about weather and pitch conditions.

They were fined by the Australian Cricket Board, but it initially hushed up the penalties.

According to the report, Gupta told investigators that he had paid Stewart for information on pitch, weather conditions and team morale after being introduced to the England player by Prabhakar in 1993.

* Herald cricket writer Richard Boock will join the New Zealand team on their South African tour next week.