ICC probing contacts made by bookies in Sri Lanka tour

KARACHI - Pakistan’s cricket officials are happy that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will probe claims that bookmakers tried to approach players during the current tour of Sri Lanka.

A source in the PCB said Monday that the Pakistan Cricket Board’s top brass is satisfied with the ICC’s response to the claims and believes that the game’s governing body will be able to tackle the issue in an appropriate manner with the help of its anti-corruption unit.

An ICC spokesman said that they have taken note of the developments. “The ICC is aware of the media reports on attempted match-fixing allegations,” ICC communications officer James Fitzgerald said in an interview.

“Appropriate action will be taken by the ICC in this regard,” he added.

“The ICC cannot comment further as the investigations of ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) are highly confidential,” Fitzgerald added.

Last week, the PCB said in a statement that it reported the matter to the ICC in Sri Lanka and “it took urgent steps”.

The ICC formed the ACSU in 2000 as match-fixing controversies rocked the cricketing world.

Many leading players, including Pakistan’s Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman, India’s Mohammed Azaruddhin and South Africa’s Hansie Cronje were banned for life after investigations by the ICC.

Back home, there have been demands from various quarters for a probe into the incidents with former PCB chief Tauqeer Zia and ex-Test spinner Abdul Qadir suggesting that the PCB should carry out its own