India women’s team cricketer approached to fix matches

New Delhi, September 16 

In an unprecedented development, a member of the India women’s cricket team was allegedly approached to fix matches earlier this year, prompting the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit to lodge an FIR against two individuals today. The alleged incident, which the player reported to the ACU, took place in February, ahead of the limited-overs home series against England.

Ajit Singh Shekhawat, who heads the ACU, confirmed the development to PTI. 

“She is an international cricketer so the ICC conducted an inquiry into it. The ICC warned the person who made the approach and informed us and acknowledged that the cricketer has done the right thing by reporting the approach,” Shekhawat said.

The ACU has registered an FIR with the Bengaluru police against Rakesh Bafna and Jitendra Kothari for the alleged approach. 

 The player is said to have also recorded the conversation she had with one of the accused over the telephone. It is learnt that the player was approached while she was undergoing recovery sessions at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, with Kothari, who introduced her to Bafna, claiming to be a sports manager.

TNPL fixing scandal: Coach could be under scanner

The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) has run into troubled waters with a few first-class cricketers and a couple of coaches coming under the Anti-Corruption Unit’s scanner for suspected match-fixing. ACU chief Shekhawat, however, ruled out the possibility of any international player being a suspect. The TNPL, owned by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, started in 2016 and features eight franchises.

“Some players have reported that they received WhatsApp messages from certain unknown people. We are trying to find out who those people are,” Shekhawat said.

While no names have been revealed yet, allegations of match-fixing are being related to one particular mid-table franchise in the TNPL.

In fact, there is one coach, whose role could come under the scanner. 

The TNPL had earlier hit the headlines when former India cricketer VB Chandrasekhar, who owned the franchise Kanchi Veerans, committed suicide allegedly over the debts he incurred in the league. — PTI