BCCI under pressure to crack down on spot fixing

Dubai: An Indian government official has thrown the ball into court of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) by saying that it is "their duty to resolve" the spot-fixing scandal that has engulfed the IPL.

Sports minister Ajay Maken also urged the BCCI to disassociate itself with the running of the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament and "get to the root of the problem."

"As I have said, the BCCI should [get to] the root cause of the problem. They have to handle the investigation because the BCCI is recognised by the ICC [International Cricket Council] to run cricket in India. It is their mandate and their duty. They are foremost responsible," Maken said in India yesterday.

"Suspending five players is not enough. [The] BCCI must come up with a long-term solution for this problem."

On Tuesday the BCCI barred five uncapped IPL cricketers allegedly involved in illegal activities following a sting operation by a TV News channel.

The players suspended are T.P. Sudhindra (Madhya Pradesh-Deccan Chargers), Mohnish Mishra (Madhya Pradesh-Pune Warriors), Amit Yadav (Goa-Kings XI Punjab), Shalabh Shrivastava (Uttar Pradesh-Kings XI Punjab), and Abhinav Bali (Himachal Pradesh).

Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab skipper David Hussey defended his team, saying that the media should not question their integrity despite the TV channel showing his former teammate Shalabh Srivastava allegedly demanding Rs1 million (Dh67,544) to bowl deliberate no-balls.