Sports Minister on IPL sting: Challenge for BCCI to get to the root of the problem

Reacting to the reports of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League, Sports Minister Ajay Maken has said that it will be a challenge for the BCCI to get to the root of the problem.

An emergency IPL Governing Council meeting has been called today after a television channel aired what it called a sting operation on spot-fixing. BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said that they have asked India TV for the CD and a decision will be taken after the IPL Governing Council meeting in Mumbai.

A grim BCCI will examine them the tapes. PTI has quoted BCCI chief N Srinivasan as saying, "If there is any truth in it... It is a fact that we will take strictest action. Even if it means suspending the player immediately. But (that has to be) based on some evidence and fact, for which I have asked the COO of IPL Sundar Raman to request for the tape," he said.

"We will act to show that this is not tolerated...IPL, we believe is clean. We have got the Anti-Corruption Unit covering it. They are in-change of the security. We have got Ravi Swami, who was heading BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit to take it up for us...People can make allegations. But if there is any shred of evidence, we will take action," he said.

Meanwhile, Shalabh Srivastava, the Kings XI Punjab fast bowler who has allegedly been recorded on an audio clip in a sting operation demanding Rs 10 lakh to bowl a deliberate no-ball during an IPL game, has denied the spot-fixing charge and said that the clip being played by a television channel is doctored.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Srivastava said, "I fail to understand whatever is being said about spot-fixing. Also if they (a TV channel) are showing all the video clips, why aren't they showing the clip where I allegedly am demanding Rs 10 lakh? The voice in that telephonic conversation is not mine. It is very easy to frame anyone with a doctored audio clip."

The Kings XI bowler said he plans legal action against the TV channel. "I will definitely file a case against them," he said.

He also said that the reporters who conducted the sting met him as sports managers who claimed to bring better offers from other franchises. "I must have met them 7-8 times and that too because they claimed to be sports managers. They claimed that they can get us better offers from other franchises. And it's not only me. They must have met around 50 players from the IPL and I must have spoken to approximately 15 players about them."

"All of them were doubtful about them as they always talked about fixing and prodded the players about how much were they being paid by their team owners. All of us were doubtful because contrary to what they claimed (that they were sports management guys), they also touched controversial topics," he added.

Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has tweeted that the allegations are baseless.