Indian cricketers part of fixing: Magazine

NEW DELHI: Sports Illustrated India, a leading sports magazine, claims to expose "dirt in cricket" in its latest issue which features conversations with bookies.

The magazine claims that bookies have taken names of Indian cricketers as well but refused to publish those, saying it will share all the material gathered with the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The magazine said that a senior BCCI official told their reporter how there were serious concerns over unsavoury characters hanging around the players in the second edition of the IPL, that took place in South Africa, and also during the Champions League.

"Several known shady characters based in the Middle East, but not seen in India, flew into South Africa and booked rooms in the players' hotel," the official was quoted as saying by the magazine which hits the stands on Saturday.

"It's not that we are unaware of the situation or the rumours," added an ICC official.

"We also get any number of tip-offs and see which ones seem more serious. There's so much access (to players) that it's difficult to control everything," he added.

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