Well, I guess the IPL had to make the news eventually. And there are muted reports of a stash of cash found in the hotel room of an Aussie player, who vigourously denies the allegations:
Three Indian cricketers, including Test quick Sreesanth, have been arrested and charged with spot-fixing in this year's Indian Premier League cricket competition.
The Rajasthan Royals players, Sreesanth, 30, who has played 27 Tests and 53 one-dayers for India, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, were arrested in a late-night swoop at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai, after the Royals' loss to the Mumbai Indians.
The Aussies who play for the Royals are Shane Watson, Shaun Tait, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg and James Faulkner. It's unlikely to be current Test squad members, right?
The spot fixers were betting on whether Shane Watson would bowl.
Posted by: Tony Tea | Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 08:11 PM
Tones, I thought that you were silent for several weeks awhile ago because you made the entirely justified decision to not give this IPL filth any attention! Frankly nothing that goes on cricket-wise would suprise me - anything to do with the BCCI is bound to be shrill, annoying, and crooked.
The English summer's off to a stormer - England 64/1 (and surely you'll have to give me that score-order, they're in England) off 34 overs. Exciting stuff.
Posted by: Carrot | Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 11:07 PM
Putting my "if I was a betting man, who would I say is guilty?" hat on, of the three Oz suspects you listed I'm going with Shaun Tait.
Gave up on a Test career coz it was all too hard. Not long after, the big $$$ of IPL took priority over all Australian and State team loyalties. It's clear that money is a priority of his. Quick money.
And not for a moment making light of this - I seem to remember a bout of depression a few years back. So if his head still ain't right then it might make him ripe for manipulation by a Joe The Bookmaker type.
Close behind on my betting tote comes Brad Hodge. Poor bugger was super talented, but his Australian career was spent mostly as a wallflower. For well over a decade he watched players his age earn the big coin that comes with being an Australian team regular.... and for the latter part of his career he watched much younger players leapfrog his spot in the queue to earn the big coin that comes with being an Australian team regular [him receiving a couple of Cricket Australia annual retainer payments notwithstanding].
Erm, so it's possible he could subconsciously justify taking a dirty payment or two from an underworld intermediary. Coz he was WRONGED throughout his career and he is DUE some money, GODDAMMIT! Better make hay. Could be his last chance.
Regarding your third possibility, Tony, I'd be surprised if my boy George Bradley is involved.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | Friday, May 17, 2013 at 03:08 AM
Great. All that THINKING ABOUT STUFF for nothing. I just Googled "australian cricketer" "hotel room" money and most of the top 10 results name him.
Furthermore, current status is that the Oz player has been cleared by Indian police. Unless there's a late twist in this tale, it seems the muted rumours are 100% bullshite [but I do know for a fact that Shaun Tait murdered Bob Woolmer].
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ps: The BIG NAME Indian player that was arrested, Sreesanth. Is he the one that Rollerboy inexplicably walloped after an IPL game a few years ago? Now I wonder if there was more to it. Maybe Rollerboy blew $50K with bookies coz Sreesanth screwed up his spot betting rigging duties!
pps: I searched for Sreesanth's first name - and it appears he doesn't have one. Erm, or is that no last name? Who does he think he is, a supermodel or a Brazilian soccer star or something?!
Posted by: Big Ramifications | Friday, May 17, 2013 at 03:43 AM
Carrot, there are two reasons I have not previously commented on the IPL: 1) it is the IPL; and 2) it is not on television.
Posted by: Tony Tea | Friday, May 17, 2013 at 11:39 AM
Biggy, yes Shreesanth is the one Rollerboy bitch-slapped.
Was there not a case in which a bloke sued Google because when he google his name Google auto-completed it with "fraud" or "liar" or something like that? If you google "Australian cricketer, hotel room, money" and it auto-completes the "Tait" part, could not Tait sink his fangs into Google?
Posted by: Tony Tea | Friday, May 17, 2013 at 11:42 AM
There's quite a lot of those "suing Google for autocomplete" cases: http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/15/the_geopolitics_of_googles_autocomplete
It seems to be a bit random as to whether or not Google wins them.
Posted by: David Barry | Friday, May 17, 2013 at 02:30 PM