In latest development related to the Indian Premier League (IPL) fixing scam, Mumbai cricketer Hiken Shah has been suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for making a corrupt approach to one of his colleagues from first-class cricket.
He was found guilty of breaching BCCI’s anti-corruption code for participants, stated a BCCI release.
Shah will be now barred from involvement in any form of cricket till such time the BCCI passes appropriate orders. Meanwhile, the cricketer denied he had committed any wrongdoing in an interview to a TV channel.
Shah, who hasn’t played in the IPL yet, has scored 2160 runs at an average of 42.35 in 37 first-class matches for Mumbai.
Interestingly, sources say the player approached by Shah was Rajasthan Royals’ Pravin Tambe, who immediately reported the matter to BCCI.
“BCCI has zero tolerance for corruption in the game of cricket. We have and we will take swift action against such incidents to set a precedent and control the menace of corruption in the game. While placing the player under suspension, I have referred the matter to the disciplinary committee of the BCCI to take further action against the player involved,” said BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya.
“This particular incident demonstrates that BCCI’s education policy against corruption is showing results, as the player approached was vigilant enough to report the matter to the ACU of the BCCI. Having said that, the fight against corruption is an ongoing battle and we will not leave any stone unturned. BCCI is committed to keep cricket corruption-free,” said honorary secretary of BCCI, Anurag Thakur.