ICC suspends tainted umpires pending probe
11 Oct 2012 8:24 AM IST
International Cricket Council [ICC] on Wednesday suspended the six umpires caught in a TV sting, which alleged that they were willing to fix Twenty20 matches, pending the completion of an inquiry against them. ‘ICC and its relevant Full Member Boards have agreed not to appoint any of the umpires named in a sting operation recently conducted by India TV to any domestic or international cricket matches pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the allegations made,’ the governing body said in a statement.
‘The officials named are not contracted by the ICC and those boards who employ and nominate the umpires directly will conduct the investigations as a matter of urgency,’ it added. The channel had shown video clips purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.
Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ajith Jayasekara said that they are studying the tapes of the sting operation and the local anti-corruption unit will work with the ICC in the investigations. he channel showed video clips, purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.
The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the TV sting willing to fix matches, were Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka. All of them have denied the allegations, insisting that they were trapped by the channel.
According to the channel, Shah offered to give decisions like ‘out’, ‘not out’ in any format of the game. He has officiated in 40-plus ODIs, six Test matches as TV umpire and three Tests as reserve umpire. Ghauri agreed to help Team India in all ways. As a quid pro quo, he agreed to take all amounts underhand in ‘black’. He has stood in 43 ODIs, 14 Test matches and four T20 matches.
Gallage, a Sri Lankan premier panel umpire who was the fourth umpire at India-Pakistan T20 World Cup warm-up match on September 17, agreed to give information on the match pitch report, weather and even the playing elevens of both teams for a payment of Rs 50,000, according to the channel.
STING FAKE, SAYS PAK UMPIRE GHAURI
Implicated in the TV sting operation that claims to have exposed corruption by umpires, Pakistan’s Nadeem Ghauri is planning to take legal action against the channel after getting the subtle backing of his cricket board which has ‘decided against jumping to conclusions.’ Ghauri and another Pakistani umpire Anees Siddiqui have been accused, along with four other umpires from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, of corruption by an Indian news channel which carried out a sting operation to get the umpires to speak on camera. Ghauri has been shown speaking about corruption in cricket by umpires on Skype. But he vehemently denied the allegations and said the video was fake. Ghauri told reporters in Lahore that he spoke to the undercover reporter, who presented himself as a member of a sports management company, with regard to umpiring in Sri Lanka Premier League [SLPL]. ‘I repeatedly told him that such matters are not discussed on phone,’ he said.
Insisting that the video was fake and had been altered by the channel, Ghauri said he has met Pakistan Cricket Board officials and informed them about his stance on the issue. ‘I will take legal action once the board also completes its inquiry,’ he added. Ghauri further said he had told PCB officials about the SLPL offer and asked if they will allow him to go ahead with it. He claimed that the PCB officials told him that the company which made the offer must contact the board directly. Ghauri said the undercover reporters said they will make him a part of a reality show but an umpire in India, Anil Chaudhry, helped him find out that the offer was a fraud and the company does not exist. The PCB also appeared to be behind its umpires as a spokesman said that it would not jump to conclusions. ‘PCB has decided against jumping to conclusions over corruption allegations levelled on six umpires and said the body was monitoring the situation and is onboard with ICC on the matter.
‘The officials named are not contracted by the ICC and those boards who employ and nominate the umpires directly will conduct the investigations as a matter of urgency,’ it added. The channel had shown video clips purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.
Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ajith Jayasekara said that they are studying the tapes of the sting operation and the local anti-corruption unit will work with the ICC in the investigations. he channel showed video clips, purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.
The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the TV sting willing to fix matches, were Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka. All of them have denied the allegations, insisting that they were trapped by the channel.
According to the channel, Shah offered to give decisions like ‘out’, ‘not out’ in any format of the game. He has officiated in 40-plus ODIs, six Test matches as TV umpire and three Tests as reserve umpire. Ghauri agreed to help Team India in all ways. As a quid pro quo, he agreed to take all amounts underhand in ‘black’. He has stood in 43 ODIs, 14 Test matches and four T20 matches.
Gallage, a Sri Lankan premier panel umpire who was the fourth umpire at India-Pakistan T20 World Cup warm-up match on September 17, agreed to give information on the match pitch report, weather and even the playing elevens of both teams for a payment of Rs 50,000, according to the channel.
STING FAKE, SAYS PAK UMPIRE GHAURI
Implicated in the TV sting operation that claims to have exposed corruption by umpires, Pakistan’s Nadeem Ghauri is planning to take legal action against the channel after getting the subtle backing of his cricket board which has ‘decided against jumping to conclusions.’ Ghauri and another Pakistani umpire Anees Siddiqui have been accused, along with four other umpires from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, of corruption by an Indian news channel which carried out a sting operation to get the umpires to speak on camera. Ghauri has been shown speaking about corruption in cricket by umpires on Skype. But he vehemently denied the allegations and said the video was fake. Ghauri told reporters in Lahore that he spoke to the undercover reporter, who presented himself as a member of a sports management company, with regard to umpiring in Sri Lanka Premier League [SLPL]. ‘I repeatedly told him that such matters are not discussed on phone,’ he said.
Insisting that the video was fake and had been altered by the channel, Ghauri said he has met Pakistan Cricket Board officials and informed them about his stance on the issue. ‘I will take legal action once the board also completes its inquiry,’ he added. Ghauri further said he had told PCB officials about the SLPL offer and asked if they will allow him to go ahead with it. He claimed that the PCB officials told him that the company which made the offer must contact the board directly. Ghauri said the undercover reporters said they will make him a part of a reality show but an umpire in India, Anil Chaudhry, helped him find out that the offer was a fraud and the company does not exist. The PCB also appeared to be behind its umpires as a spokesman said that it would not jump to conclusions. ‘PCB has decided against jumping to conclusions over corruption allegations levelled on six umpires and said the body was monitoring the situation and is onboard with ICC on the matter.
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