Fixing claims insult to Team India: BCCI

New Delhi: The BCCI on Sunday rubbished the fresh claims that the 2011 India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final could have been fixed, saying such a suggestion was an insult to the Indian team, which had worked hard for the victory. A British sports-betting journalist in his yet to be launched book has raised doubts that the match between the two arch-rivals may have been fixed.

BCCI President N Srinivasan however dismissed the claims.

"I don't generally comment on such newspaper reports but this is the farthest from the truth. And it is an insult to the Indian team which worked hard to win," Srinivasan told reporters. Reacting to the claims, Pakistan's leading off-spinner has said this was being done to spoil the upcoming series.

A British sports-betting journalist in his yet to be launched book has raised doubts that the match between the two arch-rivals may have been fixed.

India and Pakistan are set to resume bilateral cricket ties after a gap of five years with a three-match ODI series and two Twenty20s in December-January. The journalist has written in his book that he got a message from an Indian bookie, who predicted the trend and pattern of the match. British Tabloid 'Daily Mail' has published extracts of the book.

The ICC had earlier rejected the allegations which had surfaced shortly after the match. The then ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat had said, "The ICC has no reason or evidence to require an investigation into this match. It is indeed sad for spurious claims to be made which only serve to cause doubt on the semi-final of one of the most successful ICC Cricket World Cups ever."

Meanwhile, the then PCB chief Ijaz Butt said he would like to see the PCB take up the issue with the ICC. "I am no longer the Chairman and it is not right for me to say anything now but I think the current Chairman should take up this issue with the ICC," Butt said.

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