Alleged to have been involved in spot-fixing by al-Jazeera’s undercover investigation into corruption are set to be interviewed when the International Cricket Council’s own probe gets under way.ICC officials are due to meet with the Qatar-based broadcaster this week following a request for all unedited materials sourced during the making of Cricket’s Match Fixers, the documentary that was aired on Sunday, to be shared with them.
Among the claims aired was the allegation that three England players batted to order during the fifth Test against India in Chennai, December 2016, having agreed to score below a set number of runs during a 10-over passage of play as part of a betting scam.The England and Wales Cricket Board has issued a strong denial of any wrongdoing by its players, stating there is “no credible evidence”, as did Cricket Australia following a similar allegation made about two of their batsmen when they played the third Test against India in Ranchi last year.
While all five players’ names were redacted in the final edit, along with specific match details that would assist in identifying them, the ICC will seek to get this information from the upcoming meeting with al-Jazeera and then look to speak to those allegedly involved.Speaking before his side’s departure for a limited‑overs tour of England in June, the Australia captain, Tim Paine, said: “At this stage it’s unsubstantiated claims. We’re confident that none of our guys are involved in it. As far as I’m concerned our players have got nothing to worry about.
I’m really confident none of our players are involved.”The allegation of English involvement comes at an already troubling time for the Test team given the disappointing nine-wicket defeat to Pakistan at Lord’s on Sunday that has seen them now go eight matches without a win.Trevor Bayliss, the England head coach, has however insisted the allegations were not responsible for their poor showing. He said: “There was no chat about it in the change-room. It would be wrong to blame that for the way we played. When we were told about it, the thought on it was that it was rubbish.”
The second tier expands from 10 to 12 sides with Manchester United investing around £5m in their side. “Starting a professional team from scratch is challenging but rewarding and we will make every effort to provide the women with the support and experience needed for them to be successful and to uphold the traditions of our great club,” said Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman. Woodward is expected to confirm United’s women will be managed by Casey Stoney, a former England defender.
United’s fellow newcomers are an interesting bunch. Leicester are receiving heavyweight support from their parent club; the Charlton head coach, Riteesh Mishra, is a rare British Asian football manager; Lewes are noteworthy for last year becoming the first English club to pay their male and female players the same; and Sheffield United make the leap from the fourth tier to become the second team from Sheffield in the Championship.
A restructure under which Watford and Oxford United drop into the third tier is the brainchild of Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA’s head of women’s football. “There have been some difficult decisions to make but they’ve been made with the sport’s best interests at heart,” she said. “This is a hugely exciting time for the game and I am hopeful we will look back on this as one of the most significant decisions made in its history.”