BCCI extends match-fixing elimination to regional leagues
The BCCI has extended a match-fixing crackdown to regional leagues after the arrest of the owner of a team in the Karnataka premier league for making illegal bets with a Dubai-based bookie. Many T20 leagues across the world have their own match-fixing scandals resulting in suspensions.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended a match-fixing crackdown to regional leagues after the arrest of a team owner for making illegal bets with a Dubai-based bookie. Ashfaq Ali Thara, the owner of a team in the Karnataka Premier League, a state-level T20 competition, was arrested in Bangalore on Tuesday, police said. Thara, who also owns a team in the Dubai T10 League, is currently under investigation for placing bets with a Dubai bookie and is also being quizzed over a possible role in fixing matches.
"He has been arrested for betting and they are investigating other aspects," Ajit Singh, chief of the anti-corruption unit of the BCCI, told AFP.
The incident comes a week after the unit launched an inquiry into an approach by suspected match-fixers to players in this year's Tamil Nadu Premier League. A member of the Indian women's team was also approached by a bookie, and two suspects were handed over to Karnataka police.
Singh, a former director-general of police, said there is now a greater focus on state-level leagues and commended the awareness of the people who are coming forward.
"The vigilance and awareness have increased and people are coming forward with it," he said.
Singh added that education classes are being conducted for the players as well to raise awareness.
Gambling in India is illegal except in lotteries or horse racing, but numerous bets are placed with illegal bookmakers at home and abroad on all aspects of cricket. The bets range from the result to the number of runs in a specific over.
There is also no law to check online gambling that is making its way into the Indian sports market, especially cricket.
The Indian Premier League, the world's wealthiest national league, was hit by a spot-fixing scandal in 2013 which resulted in two-year bans on two reputed teams.
Many Twenty20 leagues, including the Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League, and Dubai league have had their own fixing scandals which led to bans on players.