Bombshell match-fixing claims rock Ashes series

Cricket Australia says there is “no substance, evidence or justification” to suggest the Ashes series has been corrupted by spot-fixing in the wake of a bombshell UK newspaper report.

UK newspaper The Sun published purported video evidence of two bookmakers offering to rig elements of the Third Test in Perth, which starts today, for betting purposes.

The paper claimed to have recorded two bookmakers offering to sell details of “rigged periods of play” in exchange for £140,000 (A$246,000).

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland today said there was a “zero tolerance” approach to corruption.

“Cricket Australia, the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board have a very strong stance against corruption,” Mr Sutherland said in Perth.

“Any credible allegations against corruption in the game will be taken seriously and investigated.

“We have a zero tolerance approach to corruption and we take very seriously any allegations that threaten to undermine the integrity of our sport.”

Mr Sutherland said he had spoken with his counterpart at the England and Wales Cricket Board, Tom Harrison, and the ICC today.

“We have absolute confidence in our players, our team officials and others involved in the game to say there is nothing to suggest, based on what we’ve heard … and other intelligence we have, anything about our players,” Mr Sutherland said.

The Sun reported it had handed over a dossier of information relating to the alleged fix to the International Cricket Council, which says it has “no evidence” the Ashes have been compromised.

“From my initial assessment of the material, there is no evidence, either from The Sun or via our own intelligence, to suggest the current Test Match has been corrupted,” Alex Marshall, head of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, said.

“We have now received all materials relating to The Sun investigation. We take the allegations extremely seriously and they will be investigated.

“At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that any players in this Test have been in contact with the alleged fixers.

“The allegations are wide ranging and relate to various forms cricket in several countries, including T20 tournaments. We will look closely at all the information.”

9NEWS sports presenter Neil Breen cast doubt on the allegations made by the bookies.

“My take on this is it could be a con from these two gentlemen,” Breen said.

“I’ve watched this whole video very, very closely, there could be something to it, there could be all sorts of people involved in this con.

“I find it very hard to believe anyone playing in the Ashes Test today is going to do certain things but there’s some talk here in the videos about Twenty20 cricket.

“And that’s the Big Bash League, these guys reckon they can fix the Big Bash League – do spot fixing – but they also reckon they can sell information worth up to a million dollars … on how many runs are going to be scored in an innings.

“It’s almost impossible to spot-fix that.

“My initial take is the ICC has to investigate but I’d be very, very surprised if anyone in the Test team was involved – less surprised if anyone in the T20 side was fiddling around with things.”

Former Australian Test cricket Geoff Lawson was also skeptical, saying the claims appeared “preposterous” and “rubbish”.

“Looking at that piece of video, and coming from a bloke called Sobers somewhere or other, it looks like a total preposterous piece of work,” Lawson told Fox Sports this morning.

“The numbers they talk are inconsistent.

“You cannot fix Test cricket sessions. We’re waiting for more information, but that looked like a bunch of rubbish to me.”

Spot-fixing involves betting on specific, minor details during a match, such as the number of runs scored off a particular over or the moment a no-ball is bowled.

The Sun’s investigation claimed the scam would be signalled by a player with a subtle gesture, allowing bookies in on the scam to pour millions into illegal betting Indian markets.

“Before (the) match, I will tell you this over, this runs and then you have to put all the bets on that over,” the alleged fixer, Indian man Sobers Joban, reportedly told The Sun.

Mr Joban claimed to have “absolutely correct information” and to be working with an Australian contact.

“No current England stars were named as involved,” The Sun report read – seemingly implying that members of the current Australian side were in on the alleged scam.

The fixers also claimed to rig matches in various T20 leagues, including Australia’s Big Bash League.

Cricket has been the subject of numerous betting scandals, most infamously the Hansie Cronje match-fixing saga of the early 2000s.

In 2010, three Pakistani stars – captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – were caught in a sting accepting bribes to spot fix during a Test against England.