Prabhakar refuses to meet ICC team

In an unsuccessful attempt to go deeper into the betting and match-fixing scandal, a three-member anti-corruption team from the International Cricket Council on Monday sought an appointment with former all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar, who is alleged to have introduced some foreign players to a bookie, but the request was turned down.

The three-member team, comprising Martin Hawkins, Alan Peacock and Robert Smanney which arrived in Delhi on Sunday night, called up Prabhakar on Monday morning and sought a meeting with him.

"They telephoned me but I have turned down their request and told them to meet me along with Indian cricket board officials," Prabhakar said.

He said, "I am first answerable to the BCCI and not ICC."

The ICC team wants to question Prabhakar as he has been named by the CBI as the player who introduced some foreign players to bookie Mukesh Gupta.

The 162-page CBI report on betting and match-fixing names ex-captains Alec Stewart (England), Brian Lara (West Indies), Hansie Cronje (South Africa), Arjuna Ranatunga and Arvinda D'Silva (Sri Lanka), Martin Crowe (New Zealand), Asif Iqbal and Salim Malik (Pakistan). Apart from the former skippers, the names of two more Australian players Mark Waugh and Dean Jones also figure in the CBI report.

When contacted Hawkins said they were in Delhi in connection with the match-fixing scandal but refused to give more details.

"We are here to meet the investigators and people who could throw more light on the entire gamut of match-fixing in the game," Hawkins said.

The ICC team also met CBI officials.

This is the second visit of Hawkins and Peacock since the CBI came out with its report naming five Indian cricketers and nine foreign players, who had either been offered bribes or taken money from the bookies.

During their earlier visit, the ICC team had sought statements of some persons questioned by the CBI.

Unconfirmed reports said the ICC team also met Ajay Sharma.

Mail Cricket Editor