ICC gives clean chit to Australian players

An ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) officer has rubbished alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed's claim that Australian cricketers were involved in match-fixing, saying the world body had "no evidence" of any wrongdoings carried out by the Aussies. 

According to a report in The Australian, former Scotland Yard police officer, Alan Peacock, who has been with
the ICC's ACSU since its inception in September 2000, insited at the Southwark Crown Court yesterday, that there was no evidence of corruption against Australian cricketers. 

"We have no evidence that the Australians have committed 10 brackets a day, or any brackets," Peacock said when Salman Butt's legal team asked a question as to whether he had evidence that Australian players fix matches or parts of
matches. 

"Presumably the brackets he (Majeed) is talking about is what we call session betting. That involved betting on the runs and wickets scored within a single session of play or a specific number of overs," he said. 

Majeed, a players' agent who was caught in a sting operation for allegedly orgainising corruption in cricket matches, has claimed that he knew several international players and that Australians were "the biggest" offenders of match-fixing.

The allgeations have led to angry reactions from Australian players with Nathan Bracken and former captain Ricky Ponting bluntly denying Majeed's claim that he had access to both the players. Cricket Australia also strongly reacted to the allegations and termed the claims as "outlandish". 

Majeed made that claims to an undercover reporter of the now-closed 'News of the World', and these came to light after the taped conversation was played during the corruption trial of former Pakistan captain Butt and fast bowler Mohammed Asif.