Cricket's Shame

Sreesanth, two other IPL players arrested

A The cricketing world was again shamed on Thursday as three Rajasthan Royals players, including India's fast bowler S Sreesanth, were arrested in Mumbai for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that could well have its links with the Mumbai underworld. The trio has been sent to police custody for five days.

Besides the 30-year-old Sreesanth, who has featured in 27 Tests and 53 ODIs, the other two cricketers arrested by the Delhi Police late Wednesday are his Rajasthan Royals colleagues Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) immediately suspended the trio pending further inquiry.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said the three players, who were flown to Delhi, were involved in spot-fixing in matches on May 5, May 9 and Wednesday night against Mumbai Indians. Police have also arrested 11 bookies from Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. "The arrests were made after we listened to taped conversations of hundreds of hours," Neeraj Kumar told reporters in Delhi.

Chandila was involved in spot-fixing during the May 5 match against Pune Warriors, Sreesanth in the May 9 game against Kings XI Punjab and Chavan against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai, Wednesday night. A Rajasthan comfortably won its matches against Pune and Punjab but lost the game against Mumbai by 14 runs. Neeraj Kumar said Chandila also acted as a go-between Chavan and the bookmakers for spot-fixing the match against Mumbai Indians. Chavan was promised Rs60 lakh for giving away 14 runs in his second over of the game.

Chandila was promised Rs 40 lakh for giving away 14 or more runs in his second over. Chandila, who was given Rs20 lakhs in advance, gave away 14 runs in the over but had to return the advance since he couldn't signal the bookies well in time. A Chandila had to pull up his t-shirt and look at the sky before the start of his second over but he failed to give the signal, Neeraj Kumar said.

Mumbai police sources told IANS the arrests were made on the basis of tracking phone calls, at least two dozen of which originated from Pakistan.

Modus operandi: A Agreement between bookies and players that in a certain over they would give away minimum amount of runs through different body gestures after receiving instructions from bookies