Did ex-BCCI chiefs know about fixing in IPL?

In a sensational claim, two former presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India told the Justice Mudgal-led probe committee that matches in the Indian Premier League were fixed and the matter requires thorough investigation.

The committee's report, submitted to the Supreme Court, said this was also the general perception of many people who deposed before the panel.

"The Committee would like to state there is a general perception amongst many persons who deposed before the panel that matches involving Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and other IPL teams were fixed and required through investigation.

"The said observations were in fact made by two former presidents of BCCI. However, since it is impossible for this committee to make a roving enquiry into all matches, the committee is of the view that the said issue has to be taken up by concerned investigating agencies, if any specific allegation/leads are made available to them," noted page 49 of the report.

Four ex-chiefs of the BCCI -- AC Muthiah, I S Bindra, Jagmohan Dalmiya and Shashank Manohar -- had deposed before the three-member committee that was formed late last year to probe charges of betting and spot-fixing in the IPL, among other issues.

The report did not identify who from the above-mentioned quartet made the sensational claim about matches being fixed in the lucrative Twenty20 league.

Retired cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly - who played in the T20 league in the past - were among several persons who appeared before the panel, along with current Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

In another revelation, the report said sacked IPL commissioner Lalit Modi was instrumental in current BCCI chief N Srinivasan making a bid for an IPL team (CSK) when he was an office-bearer in the Board, then headed by Sharad Pawar.

Modi and Srinivasan, now friends-turned-foes, are at loggerheads over various issues, the current one being the Rajasthan Cricket Association elections.