Indian pacer Mohammed Shami to be investigated for match-fixing

New Delhi (Chander Shekhar Luthra): Finally, Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has woken up to the charges of match-fixing against speedster Mohammed Shami, reports DNA correspondent Chander Shekhar Luthra. The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) has asked its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) led by Neeraj Kumar to investigate the allegations made by Shami’s wife Hasin Jahan that the pacer took money from a Pakistani girl named ‘Alishba’ after the insistence of an England-based businessman Mohammed Bhai.

DNA has reliably learnt that COA has swung into action on Wednesday morning and specifically asked former Delhi Police chief to pay attention to the alleged “audio recording” of the telephone conversation between Shami and his wife.

In the wake of the allegations made by the cricketer’s wife, the BCCI has kept Shami’s contract on hold last week. Since the contract issue has to be resolved, COA has requested ACSU to submit report within the next seven days.

COA has specifically asked Kumar to investigate Shami on three accounts:

1. The identity and antecedents of ‘Mohammed Bhai’ and‘Alishba'.

2. Whether any money was in fact sent by the said Mohammed Bhai through the said Alishba to Mohammed Shami

3. If yes, the purpose for which the said money was received by Mohammed Shami.

“The COA is concerned only with such portion of the said audio recording in which the person who it is claimed is Md. Shami is heard saying another person by the name of ‘Mohammed Bhai’ had sent money to Md. Shami through a Pakistani lady by the name of ‘Alishba,” stated COA’s letter, a copy of which is in possession of DNA.

It is important to mention here that Kolkata Police on Tuesday sent letter to BCCI to disclose the travel details of Shami after the last T20 match in South Africa. Shami’s last match on the tour to South Africa was the third Test in Johannesburg, in which the pacer played a starring role to help India register a victory.

COA has further advised ACSU to keep investigation limited to only the above mentioned three issues and “not deal with any of the other allegations against Shami unless it finds that the same fall within the purview of the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code”.