Cricket Australia rubbishes spot-fixing reports, claims match against Zimbabwe not being investigated
Cricket Australia has rejected reports that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is investigating their ICC World Cup, 2011 match against Zimbabwe.
Indian media reports claimed that the slow batting of Aussie openers Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 eventually posted a score of 260 runs and won the match comfortably.
Haddin has termed the slow-start story ‘laughable’.
“It’s not a case (of match-fixing), we just got off the mark a bit slowly,” he said.
Australian team manager Steve Bernard also dismissed the claims and said he was puzzled by them. He confirmed the ICC ACSU had made no approach to the Australian team.
“It's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard in my life that a side can be 0-5 after two overs and that that's suspicious,” Bernard said in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during a training session.
Aussies coach Tim Nielsen also defended the openers saying “Everyone had this perception that they went slowly. But if Zimbabwe were going to be competitive against us, they needed to take early wickets with their spinners. We're playing the way we think is the right way to play.”
The ICC has refused to confirm whether it is conducting a probe as a matter of policy.
An Indian newspaper revealed on Tuesday, that the first two overs of the match were being assessed by ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit. It added that the ICC ACSU is strictly observing the World Cup matches after the spot-fixing incident regarding three Pakistani players Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and Salman Butt. The trio were punished with lengthy bans after their involvement in spot-fixing was proven.
Australia have played two matches in the mega tournament so far beating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748 in Bangalore.
Tags: