TV sting operation claims spot-fixing, black money rife in Indian cricket

IPL players TP Sudhindra, Shalabh Srivastava, Amit Yadav and Mohnish Mishra have been caught on tape making sensational claims about the IPL.

Shalabh Srivastava (back) played for KXIP last season.

A news channel today claimed to have blown the lid off a spot-fixing racket in domestic cricket in India. India TV said it had conducted a sting operation on many cricketers, who confessed to their indiscretions on camera. The indiscretions ranged between spot-fixing no-balls, receiving payments ‘under the table’ and the use of honeytraps, among others.

The channel claimed that at the insistence of one of its reporters, pace bowler TP Sudhindra had spot-fixed a no-ball in a domestic match. Sudhindra is playing for Deccan Chargers in IPL5.

It also claimed that Shalabh Srivastava demanded Rs 10 lakh for fixing a no-ball in an IPL match. Srivastava had played for Kings XI Punjab last in 2011.

Both Sudhindra and Srivastava had played in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League before being given amnesty by the BCCI.

India TV’s investigation also revealed that IPL players are being paid more than the payment slabs prescribed by the BCCI.

Pune Warriors’ Mohnish Mishra said he had been paid Rs 1.45 crore as opposed to the Rs. 30 lakh he should have got. Mishra said Rs 45 lakh was paid to him through legitimate means, while Rs 1 crore was given to him in ‘black’.

A reporter posed to be a representative of Mumbai Indians and approached Mishra. The reporter proposed a move to Mumbai for the young cricketer and asked him how much was to be paid to him in ‘black’ if his total price were to be Rs 2 crore.

Mishra is seen discussing the modalities of the payments made to him by Sahara, who own Pune Warriors.

It has been an open secret that some cricketers are paid more by their IPL franchises than what they claim publicly. Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni is said to be receiving USD 1.8 million on paper. But there’s no limit to what Chennai can additionally pay him.

BCCI president and Chennai Super Kings owner N. Srinivasan has reacted by saying no fixing of any sort will be tolerated in the IPL.