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India Cricket: Rahul Dravid 'Devastated' Over IPL Team Arrests
BBC NEWS, INDIA
May 17, 2013: Legendary Indian batsman Rahul Dravid has spoken of his anguish after three players from the team he captains in the Indian Premier league were arrested over allegations of spot-fixing.
The Rajasthan Royals captain said he was "shocked" at S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila's arrests.
On Thursday, a court sent the players into police custody for five days. There has been no word from the cricketers themselves, but their families say they are innocent.
Fast bowler Sreesanth has represented India in many international games. He has played 27 Tests and 53 one-day internationals.
India’s cricket board suspended the cricketers. The Rajasthan Royals team said it had "a zero-tolerance approach" to corruption.
Spot fixing involves illegally rigging parts of a match, for example by timing the delivery of a deliberate wide or no-ball, to benefit bookmakers or those betting on matches.
Police said they had also arrested 11 bookmakers. Indian media reports on Friday said five more bookmakers were arrested overnight.
Correspondents say that as the news of the arrests broke on Thursday, there was shock in India where cricket is often treated on a par with religion.
The president of Board for Control of Cricket in India N Srinivasan told reporters that he was "shocked" by the developments, which he described as "a bolt from the blue".
Bollywood actress owns the Rajasthan Royals team Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra. They issued a statement saying they had been "completely taken by surprise".
The team promised to "co-operate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation".
The sixth season of the IPL, which is considered to be the world's showcase for Twenty20 cricket, is currently under way in India. Top Indian and international players take part, contributing to what is the world's richest cricket tournament.
The scandal is the latest to affect cricket. Last year, Indian cricket officials suspended five players after a sting by undercover TV reporters purported to show cricketers agreeing to bowl no-balls and spot-fix matches.
And in 2011, three top Pakistani players - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - were banned after they were found guilty of involvement in a betting scam.
