Mumbai: Justice RM Lodha on Friday urged the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to launch a probe on the reported player-bookie controversy which took place during the 2008-09 season.
On Thursday, The Indian Express had reported that an Indian cricketer, part of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad was in contact with a bookie just before an international cricket match.
“The best thing now is for the Committee of Administrators, which is in charge of BCCI affairs, to immediately order an investigation into it. The CoA should now take initiative and take this issue to the logical conclusion. They already have an Anti-Corruption Unit. They have the power to probe this,” Justice Lodha was quoted saying by The Indian Express on Friday.
If for any reason they don’t do it, they should apply to the Supreme Court and get somebody appointed by the court to look into this. The CoA, by way of application or report, should bring this to the notice of the Supreme Court. The CoA regularly submits compliance reports (updates on the implementation of the Lodha reforms) to the Supreme Court and so they should inform the SC,” he continued.
“I have observed in my report also that match-fixing is not possible but spot-fixing is possible and it does happen. And there is a nexus between players and bookies and those who play these kinds of mischief,” he went on to say.
India had lifted their second World Cup trophy in 2011 after beat Sri Lanka in the final here at the Wankhede Stadium.
