Indian Tax Authorities Cleared Australian Players from Any Kind of Involvement in Match-fixing

Indian tax officials have denied issuing a report outing 27 cricketers, including a "famous Australian", for spot-fixing during last year's Indian Premier League.

The story, first carried in Mumbai's Mid-Day newspaper last Friday, quoted an income tax report as stating, "during IPL, the match fixing and betting racket has scaled new heights." It added that suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi "is apparently deeply embroiled in both generation of black money, money laundering, betting in cricket" and accused "superstars of Indian cricket and even an international player, who is a captain of one of the teams" in fixing matches.

Subsequent reports on NDTV and the Times of India suggested matches were compromised during early round IPL matches played in Cape Town. Both organisations have since distanced themselves from the reports.

A senior Indian income tax official last night told the Herald no report had been released alleging impropriety on the part of 27 IPL players, pointing out that such a report was outside the department's remit. Shane Warne's management has also strongly denied suggestions that the "famous Australian" mentioned in media reports last Friday was the Rajasthan Royals captain.

Still, senior cricket officials have expressed concern in recent years that the integrity of the IPL had been compromised due to the infiltration of illegal bookmakers. Last year's tournament was conducted without the presence of the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security unit – Modi argued at the time that the unit's $1.2 million operating costs were too high – and was the source of much rumour and innuendo regarding corruption.

ACSU sources have told the Herald that illegal bookmakers and their conduits have become more brazen in their approaches to cricketers following their success in infiltrating Twenty20 tournaments such as the IPL.

Two Australian cricketers were approached during last year's tour to England – one during the World Twenty20, the other during the Ashes – and immediately reported the matter to team management.

And Karnataka state Home Minister V S Acharya was quoted in the Indian media as having “credible information” that two bomb blasts outside an IPL match in Banglaore on Saturday April 17 were linked to underground gambling operators.

"There are signs that the IPL betting racket wanted the semi-finals to be held in Mumbai," Acharya said. "We have received credible information from intelligence sources that the betting racket is behind the blasts. We are carrying out investigations.

"It could be a betting lobby that is behind moving the semi-final matches out of Bangalore or some other lobby. We had assured them that we would take control of the stadium and ensure safe conduct of the tournament. They did not listen to us."