ICC takes note of complaint accusing Anurag of having links with ‘bookie’

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), informing them about a complaint filed by a freelance journalist, who has alleged that BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has links with a suspected bookie.

The ICC has taken note of the complaint filed by journalist Niraj Gunde, who works with '2daystimes', in which Gunde has alleged that Thakur has links with Karan Gilhotra, who  the journalist says is  a "suspicious character and also a suspected bookie".

After the complaint, the ICC brought the matter to the notice of BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, informing him about the allegations. 

In its letter of April 22, 2015, the ICC CEO wrote to Dalmiya: "Gilhotra's name appears in the ICC ACSU's database due to the fact that during the 2014 edition of the IPL, unverified information was received by the ICC ACSU that Gilhotra was seen trying to befriend players and support staff during the tournament and that there were rumours (again unverified) about his involvement in betting on cricket.  On the basis of this information, and as a precautionary preventative measure, I am advised that Ravi Sawani, Director of the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit, wrote to all of the IPL franchise managers in 2014 advising them that they should take steps to ensure that Gilhotra was not entertained by any of their squad members."

Anurag did not respond to repeated calls.