Governing Council to have teleconference on fixing issue

The IPL`s Governing Council will have a teleconference this afternoon to discuss the television sting operation which claims to have blown the lid off "murky deals" in IPL.

New Delhi: The IPL`s Governing Council will have a teleconference this afternoon to discuss the television sting operation which claims to have blown the lid off "murky deals" in the cash-rich T20 league.

IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said strict action would be taken if any player is found to be involved in spot-fixing. Top BCCI officials have already started discussing the issue among themselves amid indications that stern action could be taken against a few players who are shown in the TV sting operation. "The IPL Governing Council will discuss the issue. We have asked for the tapes. We will study the tapes and then take a decision", a top BCCI source said. A TV channel on Monday claimed to have blown the lid off "murky deals" in the IPL among players, organisers, owners and big guns of Indian cricket, prompting the BCCI to warn that stringent action will be taken if the report is found to be true. The channel, India TV, claimed it had done a sting operation in which many players confessed on hidden camera they get much more than their prescribed auction under the table. According to the channel, its operation also revealed that spot-fixing is not only prevalent in IPL but also that first class matches are fixed and women played an important role in match-fixing. Asked about the sting operation, BCCI chief N Srinivasan had said, "We will ensure that the integrity of the game is protected. BCCI believes in the integrity of the game. We will take the strictest possible action. We will have to have the tapes and the moment we see it, whoever is the player, we will take very very strict action." "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," Srinivasan said. The BCCI said it will seek "complete footage" of the `sting operation` and examine it thoroughly. BCCI`s Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said the entire incident was very disturbing and the Cricket Board would take strong action against any player found to be guilty. Kings XI Punjab player Shalabh Srivastava, who is one of the players shown in the sting operation, vehemently denied any wrong-doing and threatened to take legal action against the channel. "If they are showing all the video clips, why are they not showing that I have demanded Rs 10 lakhs from them. Whatever they are showing...It is not my voice. You know its very easy to doctor anyone`s image and put their names and run it", Srivatsava said. "I will definitely file a case against them (the channel)", he said. "I had just seven or eight meetings with them, and they introduced themselves as a sports management people. They told me they can help me to shift to some other franchisee where I can be paid better." "I am not the only one to meet them, I can tell you they have met at least 50 IPL players. I myself have talked to 15 such players about the issue. They all were doubtful that whether they are from a sports management company or not because they always used to talk about fixing and who is getting how much money," Srivatsava said. Mohnish Mishra of Pune Warriors, T P Sudhindra of Deccan Chargers and Amit Yadav of Kings XI Punjab were the three other players who were shown in the sting operation. PTI