Star India pacer Mohammed Siraj, who is now playing for the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, has reported a “corrupt approach” to the BCCI’s Anti Corruption Unit (ACU). According to sources, an anonymous man, who is thought to be a driver, wanted inside knowledge on RCB from Siraj. When it comes to a corrupt approach, the BCCI has a strong code of conduct. If a player or official fails to report a corrupt strategy, he may face sanctions as well.
“It is recognized that the fight against corruption necessitates the prompt reporting of all such approaches, and any unnecessary delay in doing so may jeopardize the effectiveness with which the ACU BCCI and other relevant anti-corruption bodies can protect the integrity of the sport.” It is acknowledged that determining whether there was a ‘unnecessary delay’ in each case will depend on the facts of the case, but it is always unacceptable (and thus constitutes a ‘unnecessary delay’) for a Participant to wait until after the match in respect of which he/she was invited to engage in Corrupt Conduct before reporting that approach to the ACU BCCI,” the BCCI’s anti-corruption code states.
According to the PTI, the anonymous man desired inside information about Siraj’s squad after losing a large sum of money in a recent IPL game. The India pacer received a call and immediately reported the incident to ACU officials. “He wasn’t approached by a bookie. It is a Hyderabadi motorist who is addicted to sports betting. He’d lost a lot of money and was looking for inside information from Siraj.
“Siraj instantly reported the approach. The man has been apprehended by law enforcement. More information is required,” a top BCCI source familiar with the situation told PTI on condition of anonymity.
The BCCI has strengthened its ACU operations since S Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan, and Ajit Chandila were detained on spot fixing charges, along with former CSK team principal Gurunath Meiyappan. Each team gets a designated ACU official who stays in the same hotel and monitors all movements on the ground.
There is also a mandatory ACU training for players on dos and don’ts, and if any player fails to report a corrupt approach, punishments are in place. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was suspended in 2021 for failing to report a corrupt approach during his previous IPL participation.
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