ICC anti-corruption team heads for Sharjah

Two investigators from the International Cricket Council are flying to Sharjah on Wednesday to continue inquiries into match-fixing.

The ICC, however, said the four-day trip is not linked to the current triangular one-day tournament in the United Arab Emirates between New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Sir Paul Condon, director of the ICC anti-corruption unit, said: "In keeping with our consistent policy of confidentiality we will not be commenting on who the investigators plan to see or the nature of their inquiries.

"The fact that a tournament is being played at present makes it useful and practical for members of my team to be there."

The ICC has been co-ordinating world-wide match-fixing investigations since cricket was rocked last year by the sacking of former South African captain Hansie Cronje after he admitted accepting money from a bookmaker.

Two other former national captains, Pakistan's Salim Malik and Mohammed Azharuddin of India, have also been banned for life.

Last week Pakistan's ex-coach Javed Miandad accused his team of deliberately losing the recent one-day series in New Zealand

But New Zealand umpiring officials have said they did not believe matches had been fixed and Miandad told said on Wednesday what he had actually meant was to have an inquiry into the poor performance of his team who lost the series 3-2

Mail Cricket Editor