IPL spot-fixing: Kings XI bowler Shalabh Srivastava claims innocence; BCCI concerned

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. The Board of Conrol for Cricket in India has said that the IPL is clean, that fixing will not be tolerated and that if there is any truth in the sting, it will take the strictest action. (Also Read: Spot-fixing cloud over IPL after 'sting operation')

A television channel has aired what it calls a sting operation on spot-fixing. Apart from Shalabh Srivatsava, a Deccan Chargers bowler TP Sudhindra, who is from Madhya Pradesh, has purportedly been caught on camera allegedly accepting bribe for a domestic match. The bowler is seen on camera asking for Rs 40,000 to bowl a no-ball during an Indore T20 League match. The player, who took 40 wickets for his state in the 2011-12 season, did bowl a huge no-ball off the second delivery of his first over in that match.

A grim BCCI has called for the tapes and will examine them. 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.

Srinivasan also said that he had asked the Governing Council of the IPL to meet today. "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.

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.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Shalabh 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.

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