Cricket
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has found evidence of spot-fixing in the current Nepal T20 League. Seven cricketers, including three from Nepal, may have been involved.
Betting and spot-fixing were suspected in the controversial franchise league from the start. The Cricket Association of Nepal's flagship T20 competition kicked off at the TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur on December 24.
A CIB team has been investigating charges of illegal betting and fixing in the competition, following the orders of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.
According to a source, a preliminary investigation has found evidence that suggests involvement of three Nepali players and at least four foreign players in spot-fixing. “They were offered anywhere between Rs100,000 and Rs300,000 for a spot-fixing,” said the source, without divulging details.
The country’s cricket ruling body CAN has awarded the hosting and commercial rights of the tournament to a controversial Indian company, Seven3Sports.
The league courted controversy when CAN leadership sold the tournament’s commercial rights without a bidding process to Seven3Sports – a company founded to operate betting houses.
The tournament has been sponsored by 1XBAT, which, according to experts, is surrogate advertising to promote 1XBet, an online betting company.
The term 'surrogate advertising' refers to a type of marketing strategy replicating one product's brand identity to promote another product produced by the same company. Companies advertise their items by masquerading them as another brand.
This has fueled speculation that the league is fixed to benefit wagering operations.
The preliminary investigation has indicated a CAN official was using players to fix matches in connection in cahoots with Seven3Sports.
CAN officials were not immediately available for comment.
Jatin Ahluwalia, the owner of Seven3Sports, left for New Delhi after the league was dragged into the betting and fixing controversy.
The news of possible illegal betting and spot-fixing emerged last week when Sachin Timilsena, an official commentator of the league, stepped down from the role on January 3, citing spot-fixing in the competition.
A day later, captain of Kathmandu Knights Gyanendra Malla said one of his teammates had been offered by a punter to fix a match.
"We don't know about other teams, but one of the players in our squad had been approached," said Malla, the former Nepali national team captain.
He added that he had reported the incident to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) at the competition venue in Kirtipur.
Subsequently, ACU Nepal chief Vir Singh updated the International Cricket Council (ICC) headquarters in Dubai on the developments in Nepal.
The ICC reacted swiftly to the disturbing developments in Nepal. On Thursday, the cricket’s world governing body sent a two-member team to Nepal to investigate the matter.
ICC ACU officials Andrew Ephgrave and Sunny met the Nepal Police’s CIB team and administrators at the National Sports Council and exchanged information.
