Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Pictured With Bookie in Al Jazeera’s Spot-Fixing Report

Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were seen pictured with alleged match-fixer Aneel Munawar and his associates. The pictures were part of Al Jazeera’s report on match-fixing. Though the channel has made it clear that there is no suggestion that these players were involved in any wrongdoing. The report, however, claims that some other top international players were involved in spot-fixing.

"The evidence, from 2011 and 2012, points to a small group of England players allegedly carrying out spot-fixes in seven matches; Australia players in five matches; Pakistan players in three, with players from other teams carrying out spot-fixes in one match,” the report stated. Is Virat Kohli Planning an Early Retirement? His Comments Post Ind vs Wi 1st ODI Suggest So!

Al Jazeera's investigative documentary titled 'Cricket's Match Fixers: The Munawar Files' released on Sunday (October 21) further claims that Aneel Munawar has been involved in 26 spot-fixing instances in six Tests, six ODIs and three World T20 matches between 2011-12.

As per the report, an England-India encounter at Lord's Cricket Ground, a South Africa-Australia match in Cape Town and other games during England's series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were some of the matches allegedly fixed.

Munawar is allegedly a member of the 'D-Company' controlled by Dawood Ibrahim. "Our dossier also includes photographs of Munawar and his associates hovering near, and purportedly talking to, international cricket players during the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2012. There is no suggestion that these players were involved in match-fixing,” the report claimed.

International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit General Manager, Alex Marshall has said that the cricket's international body is seriously combating corruption in the wake of recent corruption allegations made against it. Virat Kohli Scores 2000-Plus Runs in Third Consecutive Calendar Year, Here Are Other Milestones He Achieved During IND vs WI 1st ODI 2018

The ICC's comments came after Al Jazeera released its second documentary on alleged corruption in cricket. The documentary claimed that around 15 international matches had been subject to spot-fixing in the 2011-12 period.

"The ICC is committed to uphold integrity in cricket. As you would expect we will again take the contents of any allegations seriously and will investigate fully. However, I must refute the assertion that cricket does not take the issue of corruption seriously. We have more resources than ever before working to rid our sport of corruption," Marshall said in a statement.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2018 08:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).