India pacer Mohammed Siraj reported a "corrupt approach" to 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.
The India pacer, who is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing IPL, 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.
When did the incident reportedly happen?
India had played a white-ball home series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka in January-February before Australia arrived. India won the T20 series against Sri Lanka 2-1 before blanking them 3-0 in the ODI series.
The incident reportedly happened before the Australia series.
Call made by alleged gambler
"It wasn't a bookie who approached Siraj. It is a driver from Hyderabad who is addicted to betting on matches. He had lost a lot of money and approached Siraj for inside information.
"Siraj reported the approach immediately. The law enforcement (Andhra Pradesh Police) authorities had nabbed the person," the source added.
ACU protocols tightened
Following the arrests of S Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan, Ajit Chandila, and former CSK team principal Gurunath Meiyappan on spot-fixing charges, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took steps to enhance its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) efforts.
To ensure the integrity of the game, each team now has a dedicated ACU official who is present at the hotel and ground, closely monitoring all movements. Additionally, players are required to attend a mandatory ACU workshop to learn about what they should and should not do to prevent corruption. There are also sanctions in place for players who fail to report a corrupt approach.
In 2021, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan was suspended for failing to report a corrupt approach during his previous Indian Premier League (IPL) stint. This underscores the importance of following the rules and reporting any suspicious behaviour to maintain the credibility and fairness of the game.
