Sachin Tendulkar On Spot-Fixing Scandal

Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said the International Cricket Council should thoroughly investigate the ‘spot-fixing’ scandal that has plunged the game into a crisis and take action against players who are found guilty.

“ICC should make a thorough probe in the ‘spot-fixing’ scandal and take appropriate action if the players are found guilty,” Tendulkar told reporters here.

“If the allegations are true, they will certainly bring disrepute to the game,” he added.

The furore follows a British tabloid’s sting operation on a bookie who allegedly paid money to Pakistani trio of Test skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir for bowling no balls during the Lord’s Test against England last week.

The three players in question have been suspended by the ICC pending an inquiry and have also been left out of the Pakistan team for the Twenty20 and ODI series against England starting Sunday.

The players are also facing a Scotland Yard investigation and yesterday met Pakistan’s High Commissioner in England to present their case.

Speaking about the scandal, Tendulkar said he has not come across any instance of Indian players being contacted by a bookie in his playing career.

“In my 21 year of international cricket, I have never heard of an Indian player being approached by bookies,” Tendulkar asserted.