The ICC and the cricket boards of Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed not to appoint any of the umpires named in the sting operation, recently conducted by India TV, for domestic or international matches pending the outcome of the investigations alleging that the umpires had agreed to accept money to give decisions favouring certain players.
The sting named six umpires: Nadir Shah (Bangladesh), Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqui (Pakistan), and Sagara Gallage, Maurice Winston Zilwa and Gamini Dissanayake (Sri Lanka). All have, in various media interviews, denied their involvement in match-fixing.
In its statement on Wednesday, the ICC said that the umpires named were not contracted by them and so it was the responsibility of the respective cricket boards to conduct the investigations urgently.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had confirmed on Tuesday that both boards had begun investigations into the allegations. The Bangladesh Cricket Board said it was taking the issue 'very seriously', adding that there would be an inquiry committee.
The ICC is known to have asked India TV to share the tapes of the undercover operation so that the tapes may be examined by its anti-corruption unit and also studied by member boards in order to understand the content of the sting operation and the context in which all statements were said to be made. The tapes seen on TV on Monday night established that the two umpires who had been linked with two World T20 practice matches, did not officiate in any capacity in those matches, either on or off the field.