Hyderabad man ‘contacts’ Siraj for team’s inside info
New Delhi, April 19
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj had reported a “corrupt approach” to the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) from an unknown person, who wanted “inside news” about his team before Australia arrived in the country for a full-fledged tour in February this year.
Pacer alerts BCCI
- Mohammed Siraj reported the matter to BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit
- The man wasn’t a bookie but a betting addict from Hyderabad, the BCCI said
- Andhra police have nabbed the person, who worked as a driver
Siraj, who is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing IPL, had promptly reported the matter to the BCCI’s ACU unit. It is understood that the gambler had lost a lot of money during the India games and messaged Siraj out of sheer frustration.
A senior BCCI source privy to the developments claimed that it wasn’t a bookie who approached Siraj. “He is a driver from Hyderabad who is addicted to betting on India matches. He had approached Siraj via WhatsApp after losing a lot of money on India games,” he said. The man has been arrested.
The BCCI had beefed up its ACU network ever since the spot-fixing scandal, involving S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila and then Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team principal Gurunath Meiyappan, was unearthed in 2013. Now, each IPL team has a dedicated ACU official who stays in the same hotel and is there at the ground monitoring all the movements.
