Seven foreign players named in Indian match-fixing report

Seven foreign cricketers have been named in a report into allegations of cricket match-fixing, carried out by India's security agency, the Press Trust of India reported Wednesday.

A source at the Central Bureau of Intelligence said the report, which had yet to be handed to the Indian government, mentioned by name seven players -- a Pakistani, three Australians, two West Indians and one Englishman.

He said a "passing reference" had been made to the players in the report, based on the testimony of a number of bookmakers. Intelligence sources had said that four Indian cricketers were likely to be named in the interim report.

The Indian cricket board has said it will ban for life any player found guilty of match fixing and erase his records.

Among the stars investigated by the CBI were former coach Kapil Dev, ex-captain Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Nikhil Chopra, Ajay Sharma and Nayan Mongia.

Former International Cricket Council president Jagmohan Dalmiya and cricket board treasurer Kishore Rungta were among administrators questioned by the CBI during its six-month probe.

Azharuddin, Jadeja, Chopra and Mongia were last month dropped from the national team until their names were cleared. Kapil Dev resigned as coach, saying the scandal had made him lose interest in the game.

Mail Cricket Editor