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'I Met Warne At Five-Star Parties'

The man, described by the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit as a 'major cricket gambler', one of the biggest punters who is known to 'actively match-fix', finally breaks his silence

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on:

He has been described by the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) as a "major cricket gambler", one of the biggest punters who is known to "actively match-fix". For the record, the 39-year-old Ratan Mehta is a Delhi-based restaurateur-cum-businessman but he claims he is also a very keen cricket fan. Despite all the allegations against him—he is said to have fixed the 1999 India-Pakistan World Cup match at Old Trafford—Mehta has kept away from the media. In an interview to Murali Krishnan, Mehta finally breaks his silence. Excerpts:
In a deposition before the ACSU team, an Indian businessman has alleged you were seen coming out of a London restaurant with Shane Warne and Brian Lara during the '99 World Cup. The subtext was that you knew them and could have influenced their performance...
Surely, all this talk of you hobnobbing with cricketers has some basis?
Who are the cricketers whom you know personally?
Why does your name keep coming up in all confidential ICC correspondence about match-fixing to various cricket boards? If you are not involved, why haven't you cleared your name?
How big is betting these days?
What is the role of the "underworld" in cricket betting?
You keep saying that you are being selectively victimised. Who then are the other 'players' in the market?
What do you think of the former Pakistani wicket-keeper, Rashid Latif?
Do you think the BCCI stopping 'masala matches' in unusual venues like Toronto has helped contain betting and match fixing?
There was a request from the ICC, before India's last tour of Pakistan, asking the Delhi Police to arrest you because of your involvement in match-fixing.
The ICC's anti-corruption unit alleges that you influenced Pakistani players to underperform in the '99 World Cup in England.
But match-fixing does not leave any paper trail. It is your word against strong circumstantial evidence that the ACSU has collected that you influenced the Pakistani players during the World Cup.
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