Reports | Mohammed Siraj discloses plea for inside information during India-Australia ODIs to BCCI

All-format Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has reported a "corrupt approach" to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as per a report released by Press Trust of India on Wednesday. The 29-year-old's help was sought by a gambling addict who had lost large sums of money and was seeking to recover funds with the help of inside information. The incident took place during the three-match series between India and Australia that took place between March 17 and March 22 with the visitors emerging triumphant by a 2-1 margin. However, Siraj followed due process by timely reporting the matter to the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit. 

There are severe consequences in place for cricketers that fail to report such approaches in the Internation Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Code, even if they don't end up indulging in corruption. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan had to face a two-year ban in 2018 for a similar case albeit one year of his sentence was suspended. The BCCI has had several high-profile cases of corruption in the past as well, including the arrest of three Rajasthan Royals players in 2013 for spot-fixing and ensuing severe bans.