Watson, Haddin were approached by Mumbai bookmaker during last England tour

August 31st, 2010 - 1:07 pm ICT by ANI  

Sydney, Aug 31 (ANI): A suspected Mumbai gangster approached Australian cricketers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin during the tour of England last year.

Watson was approached in the bar of the team’s West London hotel, the Royal Kensington Garden, after the Lord’s Test, and Haddin was confronted during the World Twenty20 tournament.

Both players immediately reported the approaches to authorities, and neither was suspected of any wrongdoing, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The attempted corruption exposes the audacity of the betting underworld and follows allegations that one of seven Pakistani players implicated in this week’s spot-fixing scandal took bribes from bookmakers before flying to Australia last summer, the paper said.

The paper reports that the same man, who also sought to procure information from other international cricketers and at least one member of the media during the World Twenty20 tournament in England, approached Watson and Haddin.

Senior International Cricket Council sources described him as a Mumbai gangster with links to illegal bookmakers in India.

The ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit has begun an investigation into his dealings.

A Cricket Australia spokesman yesterday confirmed approaches had been made to two players during the tour of England, and to a CA official. (ANI)

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