New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) Wednesday suspended six umpires pending an inquiry into the corruption claims made against them by an Indian news channel.
“The ICC and its relevant Full Member Boards have agreed not to appoint any of the umpires named in a sting operation recently conducted by India TV to any domestic or international cricket matches pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the allegations made.
“The officials named are not contracted by the ICC and those Boards who employ and nominate the umpires directly will conduct the investigations as a matter of urgency,” said the ICC in a statement.
The suspended umpires are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka’s Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage.
India TV, which had earlier conducted a sting operation on corruption in India’s domestic cricket circuit, released another footage Monday showing the six umpires expressing their willingness to give wrong decisions during a game for monetary benefits.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president Rajiv Shukla welcomed ICC’s move and said it was only right for the sport’s international body to take action against the umpires.
“It is good that they have taken action. It is apt that ICC takes action against umpires rather than an individual board,” said Shukla, who is also the Indian Premier League chairman.
