Aussies deny knowledge of spot-fixing in IPL

Sydney: Cricket Australia (CA) yesterday said they have no knowledge about the alleged involvement of two Australian cricketers in spot-fixing in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa.

England's Sunday Times reported that 29 players were suspected of spot-fixing during the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament.

The list compiled by International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption and security unit included names of high-profile cricketers.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed source revealing that "some betting patterns were very suspicious at IPL 2".

Cricket Australia's chief spokesman Peter Young said neither the association nor the ICC has been able to verify the claims made in the English newspaper.

"We don't have any knowledge of this. The ICC tells us they don't have any knowledge either," Young was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday.

Seven of the 19 Australians, who played in the IPL, are back in South Africa for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.

The paper reported that the motivation for the investigation was to show "corruption in the sport goes well beyond the Pakistan players accused of fixing during their current tour of England and the recent World Twenty20".

Meanwhile, Australian spin legend Shane Warne said the tournament in the rainbow nation was free of corruption.

"During the time I played in the IPL, I was never approached or heard anything at the Royals regarding match-fixing," said Warne, who captained the Rajasthan Royals in the three editions of the IPL.

The allegations of spot-fixing have been flowing around ever since Pakistani cricketers were charged after the recent Lord's Test.