No punch in Condon's report: Dalmiya

Former ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Wednesday said the apex body's anti-corruption unit chief Paul Condon's report on match-fixing is "merely cosmetic" and has no real substance.

"The report does not really throw much light on the match-fixing issue. It does not say anything new. Just making references to some events does not help in solving the issue," Dalmiya told a press conference in Calcutta on Wednesday.

Dalmiya said the report had not gone into the depth of the match-fixing issue which rocked international cricket though Condon had studied the reports of various other agencies and commissions probing the matter.

The first report of the Anti-Corruption Unit, which was released in London on May 23, had said that the match-fixing scandal had justifiably undermined confidence in the ability of those running the game and had suggested recommendations to cleanse the game.

The Unit, headed by the former Metropolitan Police chief, was set up last year after Hansie Cronje admitted taking money from an Indian bookie. Dalmiya, who was the ICC president at that time, was in favour of setting up the unit.

Dalmiya said Condon had also questioned the credibility of the India-New Zealand semi-final match in the ICC Knock-out tournament in Kenya but had not mentioned any specific wrong-doing.

"He has made a passing mention to that match. The New Zealand board have been quick to defend their players. I don't know whether the Indian board has defended its players since I was out of the country," Dalmiya said.

On Condon's view that the present structure of the ICC was inadequate to run international cricket and manage large sums of money, Dalmiya said the ICC's executive board will meet at Lord's on June 18 and Condon's recommendations will be discussed in detail.

Mail Cricket Editor