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The thirty-page preliminary report by the ICC Anti Corruption Unit was released on the internet yesterday. The contents of the report have evoked mixed reactions from different countries. According to the report, it was the Indian betting industry that powered and drove cricket corruption, although match-fixing is a global phenomenon. The report also points out that the Calcutta Test in the 1979-80 series between Pakistan and India happens to be the first match suspected to have been rigged. The report also points out more than 50 matches (including Tests and one-dayers) are suspected to have been fixed. A few Indian domestic matches (Challenger one-day series of 1999-00) have also found a mention in the report. Most of these 50 matches termed suspect have been played in the nineties and 31 out of the 50 involve India. Following the release of the ACU report, the ICC has given itself a month's time to decide the next course of action. The executive board of the ICC is scheduled to meet on June 18 and then decide when next report is due and what action is to be taken on the current one. The South African cricket officials are concerned over Paul Condon's belief that match fixing is still going on, though on a much smaller level. South Africa is to host the 2003 World Cup and are keen to host the event free of any charges of betting or match fixing. The South African Cricket Board have tried to implement a system that no mischief player can get through, including a dressing room accreditation system and the monitoring of phone calls in hotel rooms and the near ban of mobile phones by players while a match is going on.
Meanwhile, New Zealand cricket authorities have dismissed suggestions that the final of the 2000 ICC knockout tournament that New Zealand won could have been fixed. This incidentally was New Zealand's first one-day tournament win. All rounder Chris Cairns, who scored a match winning 102, felt there was nothing going on that suggested India were deliberately losing the match. New Zealand had reached their target of 265 with just two balls to spare.
Injury and fitness problems continue to dog the Pakistan team on tour of England with fast bowler Mohammad Sami being the latest casualty. The 20-year old Sami who was left out in the last minute for the first Test, is unlikely to play in the second Test as well. The PCB chairman Tauqir Zia said he was keen that Sami recover completely before he gets back to the field of play for the one-day tri-series in June. Pakistan beat Leicestershire by seven wickets in a one-day match at Leicester. Ben Smith (105) shared partnerships with Darren Maddy and Ian Sutcliffe to help the hosts post a modest 225-7 in 50 overs. Opening batsman Salim Elahi, who had bagged a pair in the Lord's Test match made an unbeaten 108. as Pakistan overhauled the total easily by reaching 228-3 in 42.4 overs. Pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar claimed 4-37, which restricted the hosts.
The West Indies has selected a 22-man squad for a camp that will be held in Trinidad prior to the team's departure to Zimbabwe and Kenya. Fast bowler Ricky Christopher is the only new face in the squad that includes Reon King, Colin Stuart, wicketkeeper Courtney Browne and leg-spin all-rounder Mahendra Nagamootoo. The other player on the verge of making his debut is spinner Dave Mohammad who was however part of the squad for the series against South Africa. The tour begins on June 17 when West Indies will join India and host Zimbabwe for a tri-series tournament.
Benson & Hedges Cup, 2001 - Quaterfinals Somerset 210-7 in 50 overs (PD Bowler 62, J Cox 62) lost to Yorkshire 213-2 in 36.4 overs (MP Vaughan 125 not out, DS Lehmann 51 not out) by eight wickets at Taunton.
Surrey 239-7 in 50 overs (AD Brown 108 not out, MR Ramprakash 53) beat Sussex 186 in 47.2 (RR Montgomerie 83; BC 3-13) by 53 runs at Brighton Gloucestershire was the first team to reach the semi-final.
Yesterday's News
News Roll archive
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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Former Pakistan captain and coach of the 1999 World Cup Mushtaq Mohammad said his conscience was clear regarding his team's performance in the tournament. He termed Pakistan's loss to Bangladesh and India had come out of sheer complacency and nothing else. Mushtaq has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board for not doing anything regarding the proposed inquiry into the World Cup matches.
Former Pakistani pace bowler Mohammad Akram now playing in the Bradford League produced a bowling spell that claimed all 10 wickets for just 25 runs. Akram was playing for Undercliffe against Cleckheaton, to become one of the few players in the 100-year history of the league to claim all ten! He also recorded the best figures in the League's first division in the last 14 years.
Sachin Tendulkar was felicitated at a function held at the Wankhede Stadium by the Mumbai Cricket Association, on becoming the first batsmen to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals. A Sachin Tendulkar Enclosure was also inaugurated at the occasion. During the Tendulkar felicitation function the chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilas Deshmukh, announced the allotment of a 13-acre plot in the Bandra-Kurla for development of cricketing infrastructure in the suburbs. There is also a proposal to build a new cricket stadium at this site.
Warwickshire 212-7 in 50 overs (NV Knight 103; GJ Smith 4-18) lost to Nottinghamshire 214-4 in 46.1 overs (DJ Bicknell 117 not out) by six wickets at Nottingham.
