ICC to investigate Ashes spot-fixing plot claims but say no evidence of corruption

The International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit has confirmed a full investigation will be held into a report by the Sun newspaper that the ongoing third Ashes Test has been targeted by match-fixers, despite no evidence of any wrongdoing at this stage.

It made for alarming start to the opening day at the Waca, with the newspaper’s front page on Thursday claiming to have “smashed a plot” to fix the Ashes. Inside was an undercover probe into a former Indian state cricketer and a bookmaker who boasted to reporters about their ability to fix elements of matches at both domestic and international level.

The ICC, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board were quick to respond after receiving the information, issuing a series of statements that outlined how seriously the matter has been taken but adding there is no indication the ongoing Test, or any elements of the series, have been rigged, nor players on either side approached to do so.

Tom Harrison and James Sutherland, the respective chief executives of the ECB and CA, were part of an ICC conference call at 7am local time in Perth, where they were briefed on The Sun’s findings by Alex Marshall, the decorated former British chief constable who now heads up the world governing body’s anti-corruption unit.

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Marshall, later speaking publicly about the details passed on to him by The Sun, said: “It is obviously very early stages and our priority on receiving everything late last night was to consider whether the integrity of the third Ashes Test had been compromised.

“There is no evidence, either from The Sun or via our own intelligence, to suggest the current Test Match has been corrupted. At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that any players in this Test have been in contact with the alleged fixers.

“We are taking these allegations very seriously and will follow the correct processes of a thorough investigation. We will look for clear and usable evidence that proves or disproves the allegations made. This will include looking for corroboration, speaking to key witnesses and securing all relevant evidential material.”

In the report, Sobers Joban, an Indian state cricketer, and Priyank Saxena, a bookmaker, told the journalists they work with a fixer in Australian cricket known as the “Silent Man”, adding that he has contact with past and current international players. Spot-fixing – the act of manipulating small passages of play – could be arranged for sums up to £140,000.

The pair cited details of how such scams work in Australia’s Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League and outlined the nature of how players relay information to fixers off the field through a series of messages. These included players’ coloured watches, different length sleeves, stopping before bowling or requesting equipment be brought out to the middle during play.

Though covertly filmed by the Sun as part of a four-month investigation in Dubai and Delhi, there was not much to suggest anything beyond the two men making an elaborate sales pitch. The prospect of fixing the ongoing first Test in Perth was due to the two-and-a-half hour time difference being close to that of the Indian capital.

“It certainly seems to be a bit of a scattergun story where there’s almost a whole lot mud been thrown out there,” said Sutherland, the CA chief executive, told Channel Nine. “I just can’t see any reason why a player from Australia or England would in any way be vulnerable in this sort of situation. They’re very well paid players, they know and understand the consequences.”

Asked about the report on day one of the third Test, the Australian captain, Steve Smith, said: “I saw that this morning, Obviously there is no tolerance and no place for that in our game. As far as I know there is nothing that has been going on or anything like that.” Joe Root, his England counterpart, added: “It’s sad that this has been written about.”

Nevertheless, the report highlights how the spectre of match-fixing still surrounds cricket. Just last week the ICC confirmed it was currently conducting seven live investigations into corruption, with three international captains - among them Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer and Sarfraz Ahmed of Pakistan - having reported approaches in the past two months. Under new powers brought in this year, the ICC has the ability to request that players, coaches and administrators working in cricket hand over their mobile phones with refusal to do so resulting in two-year bans from the sport for non-cooperation.