Share

ICC "not too suspicious" of Sharjah match

Dubai - The International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richardson said Sunday he was "not too suspicious" over the one-day match between Pakistan and England in Sharjah, despite press reports it could have been fixed.

British tabloid Daily Mail alleged the match on Tuesday was under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council (ICC) over unusual patterns of betting.

The newspaper claimed the investigators were tipped off before the match that Pakistan would underperform in the game and that three run-outs, casual dismissals of batsmen and sloppy fielding were suspicious.

Pakistan were bowled out for 208 on a flat pitch, with skipper Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik run out and lost the match by six wickets.

Richardson said odd run outs happen in cricket.

"Yes, there could be odd occasions, there would be some strange run outs, in fact I have been run out on more occasions than I care to remember," Richardson, who played 42 Tests and 122 one-day international for South Africa, told BBC radio's Test Match Special on Sunday.

Richardson praised Pakistan players for reporting any suspicious offer.

"Even Pakistan players themselves these days are reporting every approach that seems to come their way and I wouldn't be too suspicious," said Richardson.

Richardson said he was satistfied regarding the progress made on fight against corruption.

"I am pretty positive about where cricket is at the moment in the battle of keeping cricket clean, the level of education that the international players go through now," he said.

Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has also refuted allegations of fixing in the Sharjah one-day international.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1814 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1770 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1079 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 457 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE