World Cup: Australia rubbish reports of spot-fixing
By IANSTuesday, March 1, 2011
COLOMBO - The Australian cricket team Tuesday rubbished media reports that the International Cricket Council (ICC) was investigating their opening World Cup match against Zimbabwe on potential spot-fixing.
The slow batting of its openers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad against a weak Zimbabwe attack February 21.
Australian team manager Steve Bernard said: “This is the silliest thing I’ve heard this week - and I’ve heard a lot of silly things since I’ve been here”.
Bernard said he is puzzled by the report and termed it “ludicrous”.
“I am not sure how to respond to it. It is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard in my life that a side can be 0-5 after two overs and that that’s suspicious,” Bernard said after a training session here.
Bernard said that the guys took time on a fresh track as they were not used to it.
“At the start of any campaign, on a fresh track that the guys weren’t used to, it took a bit of time but 260-odd was a pretty good score. I’m not sure if it’s a make-up story by someone being a bit adventurous or a bit malicious . . . but I don’t pay it any credence,” he said.
