Cricket corruption claims: Al Jazeera talking to Interpol about spot-fixing allegations

England are currently on tour in Sri Lanka, where they won a heavily rain-affected one-day international series 3-1

THE Al Jazeera journalist behind allegations that England players were involved in spot-fixing says the broadcaster is in discussions with Interpol about its findings.

A TV documentary said evidence had been uncovered displaying “corruption at the highest levels of cricket”, involving a “small group” of England players.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s governing body, says its anti-corruption department is looking into the claims. The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) denies the allegations.

Speaking to BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on the BBC’s The Cricket Social, David Harrison confirmed Al Jazeera was “in talks with Interpol to hand [its findings] over to them”.

“The ICC and the cricket boards have the names of these players, they have all the details and are aware of all of this,” Harrison continued.

“This is massive, compelling evidence. The ICC say let’s have more – well, we have got a list of questions for them.”

He said taking the allegations to Interpol was “the only way to get access to the bank accounts because as journalists we cannot do that”.

Alex Marshall, the general manager of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, has confirmed it is investigating and called for the full co-operation of Al Jazeera.

“The investigation into these allegations has already commenced and will run alongside a number of other live, unrelated investigations,” Marshall said.

“We have made repeated efforts to engage with the broadcaster as it can play such a crucial part in the full and thorough investigation it has called for.

“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.

“When considering the claims, we will work with professional independent betting analysts.”

The Qatar-based media network’s investigation says the corruption “appears to involve two dozen fixes in 15 international matches”, dating from 2011 and 2012.

England fast bowler Mark Wood, who is currently on the side’s one-day tour of Sri Lanka, called the allegations “nothing news”.

“I have not spoken to any of the other players about it because it just does not really bother me, to be honest,” Wood said.

“They keep making accusations and there is nothing behind it.”

But Harrison told the BBC: “People keep saying there is no evidence. The evidence is we have a match fixer, confirmed as such. We have a member of a D-Company mafia, confirmed as ringing in fixtures to a known gangster bookie and confirmed that all the fixes went down, bar one because it was one run short.

“This is massive, compelling evidence.”

The ECB described Al Jazeera’s information as “poorly prepared” and said it “lacks clarity and corroboration”.

“Analysis of this by the ECB integrity team has cast no doubt on the integrity or behaviour of any England player, current or former,” it said in a statement when the allegations were first aired.

The full investigation points to a small group of England players allegedly carrying out spot-fixes in seven matches, Australia players in five matches and Pakistan players in three. Players from other teams allegedly carried out spot-fixes in one match.

Cricket Australia has also responded to the claims, saying it takes a “zero-tolerance” approach “to anyone trying to compromise the integrity” of the game and had “full confidence in our players in also protecting the game”.