Top Player was in Touch with Bookie but no Time to Probe: IPL Investigator BB Misra

A top Indian cricketer, part of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad, was in touch with a known bookie in the days leading up to an international match during the 2008-09 season revealed IPL investigator BB Mishra.

Meanwhile, Mishra, appointed by the Supreme Court said that the bookie was willing to give him evidence but backed out. In a chat with the Indian Express, Mishra revealed he didn’t have time to crack the case. He spoke to the bookie days before his deadline for submission of the report to the apex court — and it was not part of his charter.

BB Mishra investigated as many as nine players. However, it was the finding pertaining to match-officials were only made public.

“There is one such instance related to an international match played in India. But I could not probe that instance to its logical conclusion. That is what I am suggesting. This thing happened during an international cricket match, probably in the run-up to the match. Just a day or two before the match. It happened in 2008-09,” Mishra said.

However, the IPL investigator declined to reveal the name of the cricketer.

The bookie backed out in the last minute

BB Mishra admitted that the bookie involved in IPL accepted the information before him as well. Mishra further noted that he was willing to give the evidence but backed out in the dying moments.

 “I would have confronted the player with the information I got from the bookie. But (that) evidence didn’t come from the bookie though I knew the evidence existed, I could not pursue it. I knew of this specific instance where the bookie had confided in somebody else, I got that information, the bookie accepted that information before me also, he was willing to give the evidence but in the last minute he decided not to,” BB Mishra concluded.