MUMBAI: Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor's sensational claim on Twitter on Monday that he was approached by bookies in India to get involved in spot-fixing and was later blackmailed by them with threats of leaking cocaine snorting video in October 2019 hasn't come as a surprise to the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit.
"This is not a new matter. It's an old incident, about which we are aware of. The ICC has been inquiring into this," BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala told TOI.
While Khandwawala refused to talk on the topic any further, a reliable source tracking developments told this paper: "There are allegations from both the sides. While Taylor has alleged that he was offered $15,000 by the 'businessman' to be a part of spot-fixing deals, the other party has alleged that Taylor took $40,000 from him to be a part of the launch of a T20 tournament in Zimbabwe, and never returned the money."
"The Brendan Taylor episode underlines again that unscrupulous spot-fixers continue to prowl, waiting to pounce on the insecurities and weaknesses of cricketers. It is a warning sign to ICC’s anti-corruption unit that it can never let its guard down.-TimesView"
"During their inquiry on this issue, the ICC had sent its anti-corruption officer to India after these allegations surfaced from both Taylor and the 'businessman'. He met the concerned parties during the inquiry that time," revealed the source.
