New Delhi: The one-man Board of Control for Cricket in India panel has found four Rajasthan Royals players guilty of spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League 2013. According to sources, probe panel chief Ravi Sawani has found S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan and Amit Singh guilty of spot-fixing . Sawani, who is also head of the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit, has recommended bans ranging from five years to life for the guilty players.
The BCCI's disciplinary committee meets in Delhi on Friday to discuss Sawani's report on the scandal that shook India's Twenty20 league earlier this year. Sawani investigated allegations that Chandila, Chavan and Sreesanth had conceded a pre-determined number of runs per over in exchange for bribes during the IPL this year. Former IPL and Gujarat player Amit Singh, who last played for the Rajasthan Royals in 2012 and was also arrested with the three others, was alleged to have discussed fixing IPL games with Chandila.
Sawani, who is learnt to have informed the players of his verdict three days ago, has in the report recommended that they be banned for a minimum period of five years and going up to life. BCCI sources said the disciplinary committee is likely to hand a life ban to Chandila and Amit, while Sreesanth and Chavan may be banned for between 10 and 15 years.
The Sawani report also pulls up Royals player Siddharth Trivedi for violations that could earn him a period of ineligibility, likely between one and five years. Royals left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh, who was a part of India's under-19 World Cup-winning squad in 2012, is expected to get a similar ban for failing to report that he was approached by bookies. "The disciplinary committee may consider my report and impose such sanctions as considered appropriate to send out a strong signal indicating the zero tolerance policy of the BCCI to any corruption in the sport that is so dear to the million of Indians and fans abroad," Sawani urged in the report, sources said.
Sawani had prepared an interim inquiry report based on evidence submitted by the Delhi Police in early June. Subsequently, the players were questioned and given a chance to clarify their positions. "I am of the opinion that there is sufficient evidence available even at this stage to go ahead with the disciplinary proceedings against the four suspended players," Sawani had said in June. The final report adopts a tough tone and says that none of the players were naive to the propositions of manipulation.
"There is no specific mitigating factors that would require any mercy while sanctioning the aforesaid guilty players. Sreesanth has played a number of international games and was part of the Indian national team which won the inaugural T20 World Cup, 2007 and ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011. He has received the ICC ACSU education programme on many occasions. In any case all the three players of Rajasthan Royals who are now being accused and found guilty by the under-signed received the ICC Education Programme just prior to the beginning of the IPL-6 season i.e. on April 5, 2013. The programme was delivered to the entire Rajasthan Royals team by Arrie De Bear, regional security manager of the ICC ACSU," Sawani has said.
