Al Jazeera exposes Indian match-fixing syndicate, ICC-BCCI combine assures serious investigation

Al Jazeera said its Investigative Unit has exposed a match-fixer from a crime syndicate in India who claimed to have bribed international cricketers to underperform in Test matches.

The expose said Aneel Munawar, who is part of a syndicate controlling India's betting market, promised undercover reporter big returns.

"Our undercover investigation, Cricket's Match-Fixers, reveals that "spot-fixes" were allegedly carried out in matches between India and England at Chennai in December 2016 and India and Australia at Ranchi in March last year," the news channel reported.

In secretly recorded meetings, Aneel Munawar, the match-fixer from Mumbai, told Al Jazeera reporters that they could make huge sums from betting on his information.

"I'm telling you, each script I give you will happen, happen and happen," he said as shown in the documentary.

"Sixty to 70 percent of matches we can set ... fix," he said, adding that he has been involved in match-fixing for "six to seven years".

"Indian intelligence sources confirmed that Munawar works for a criminal mafia called D-Company [named after underworld kingpin and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim]. The syndicate controls most of India's huge illegal betting market said to be worth $60bn a year," the report said.

In a statement, Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager, Anti-Corruption Unit, said: “The ICC has now had the opportunity to view the documentary into corruption in cricket and as we have previously stated, we are taking the contents of the programme and the allegations it has made extremely seriously."

"A full investigation led by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, working with full cooperation from all Member countries identified in the programme, is now underway to examine each claim made.

“We have been in ongoing dialogue with the broadcaster which has refused our continual requests to cooperate and share information which has hampered our investigation to date. The content of the programme, is, of course, useful to the investigation, but I would now urge the production team to provide us with all un-edited and unseen evidence they are in possession of, to enable us to expedite a thorough investigation," Marshall said.

“Given this is a live investigation and one that is likely to be subject to the legal process, it is not possible to provide any further comment.

“Our Anti-Corruption Unit is committed to working to uphold integrity in cricket and would urge anyone with any information to contact us in strictest confidence via contactacu@icc-cricket.com.”

Meanwhile, India's Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said its anti-corruption unit is working closely with ICC

The BCCI has a zero-tolerance approach to any activity or act that brings the game of cricket to disrepute or mars the integrity of the game, it said in a press statement.

The BCCI anti-corruption unit is working closely with the ICC anti-corruption on the alleged claims by a television channel, it said.

Image: Al Jazeera documentary screengrab