International cricket umpires now involved in corruption: Report

New Delhi: Close on the heels of five Indian cricketers found involved in spot-fixing, a latest sting operation has revealed that six umpires were ready to be bribed during the recently concluded Twenty20 World Cup and Sri Lanka Premier League in August.

India TV, which had earlier conducted a sting operation on corruption in India's domestic circuit, has come up with another footage showing six umpires from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, willing to give wrong decisions during a game.

The umpires are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka's Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage.

Amongst the officials interrogated on camera, only Shah and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid represent the current umpire panel of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The channel, however, claimed that Sharfudoullah refused to give any favour in lieu of money offered by the undercover reporters.

But Shah, who has officiated in 40 One-day Internationals and three T20 Internationals, was ready to fix any match at international or domestic level. Shah also revealed that Pakistani batsman Nasir Jamshed "fixed" matches in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the channel said.

In another video of the sting, Sri Lankan umpire Gallage agreed to leak information on the pitch, weather, toss, and the playing elevens of India and Pakistan ahead of their World Twenty20 warm-up match Sep 17 for Rs.50,000. He was the fourth umpire in the game.

Dissanayake went a step ahead. Gamini claimed that by providing liquor to Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) officials, one can get any work done.

During the reporter's conversation with Ghauri, a former ICC umpire from Pakistan, the latter promised to do anything for a payment. He has officiated in 43 ODIS and 14 Tests with his last international game back in November 2010.

The channel said Ghauri's countryman Siddiqui was also ready to get a decision in favour of India for money. Anees promised that he would manage the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to accept a decision favourable to India.