CIB to make public all details in a press conference today
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 23
Police today arrested two cricketers for their involvement in fixing in the Nepal T20 Cricket League.
National team all-rounder Adil Ansari and former Nepal international Mehboob Alam - who holds the world record of taking all 10 wickets in an innings - were arrested from Rajbiraj and Biratnagar, respectively.
Police sources said both would be in the Central Investigation Bureau custody for further investigation.
The CIB's special probe committee was formed after Minister of Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane instructed Nepal Police to investigate the matter acting on reports of irregularities published in media and players' protest over payment issues. The probe committee has already confirmed spot-fixing in the ill-fated tournament and has also found circumstantial evidence of match-fixing.
The CIB has not officially published the report of the investigation committee and they are expected to bring all facts to light tomorrow in a press meet.
It is also learnt that Jatin Ahluwalia, owner of the Seven- 3Sports - the Strategic and Commercial Partner of the NepalT20 - masterminded fixing.
Seven3Sports had roped in 1XBat as title sponsor of the NepalT20 and the company is a sister organisation of 1XBet.
1XBet is a famous online platform for betting in major sporting events around the world.
However, 1xBet is illegal in Nepal as the country does not allow betting.
Ahluwalia, who flew to India after fixing scandals surfaced, never returned.
The issue came to light after commentator Sachin Timalsina quit the job accusing organisers of turning a deaf ear to multiple reports of controversial moments, while Kathmandu Knights skipper Gyanendra Malla said one of his team members was approached for spot-fixing and his team reported the caseto Anti-Corruption Unit. According to a source close to ACU, more than 10 incidents of spot-fixing approaches were reported before the playoffs.
The tournament was postponed thrice after the CAN and Seven3Sports failed to meet deadlines and the event came under scrutiny from the beginning.
The controversy began when teams fielded foreign players without acquiring work permits, while majority of six franchise-based teams refused to play after they were not provided with the salary.
On Sunday, Superintendent of Police Kamal Thapa, who is the CIB spokesperson, said, "The probe committee's report is almost ready and the investigating team has found financial transactions that suggest possible match-fixing. The probe also found multiple spot-fixing cases in the tournament. Some links and attempts have also been identified that suggest match-fixing had either happened or was going to happen."
The National Sports Council has also formed a five-member committee led by Executive Committee Member Ekendra Kunwar and the team is preparing to submit the report in a couple of days. The NSC-formed team has also found irregularities in the tournament.
CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand said the association coordinated with the CIB from the beginning. "As we wanted a clean event, CAN was with the investigating authorities from the first day of the tournament," said Chand. "If anyone has done anything wrong, it should not go unpunished, whether it be a player or an official," he added.
Chand said he was in touch with Alhuwalia until last week.
"We talked on Whatsapp some 5-6 days ago and we urged him to send the remaining amount that he owes to CAN at the earliest," he said. "The media reports have shown Alhuwalia as the main culprit and he has only two options - come to Kathmandu to prove his innocence or stay back to face consequences," Chand added.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
