Cricket: Indian inquiry looks into TV rights deal

The Indian inquiry into cricket match-fixing will summon Mark Mascarenhas, the head of the sports management company WorldTel, for more questioning over alleged offences related to a television broadcast rights contract.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which launched its inquiries late last year, has said it is probing allegations of offences linked to the contract for the TV rights for the 1998 International Cricket Council knock-out tournament held in Bangladesh.

"We completed Mr [Mark] Mascarenhas's preliminary examination last week. We will call him again for a detailed examination in the course of the investigation," S M Khan, a CBI spokesman, said yesterday.

Khan said a decision on when the summons would be issued had not yet been taken.

"We have offered all co-operation to all investigative agencies at all times. We have nothing to hide and we're confident the enquiry will exonerate us," Mascarenhas said.

Lord Condon, the director of the ICC's Anti-corruption Unit, said earlier this week in a report on corruption in international cricket that his unit would co-operate with the CBI probe into the allegations "of criminal offences and associated matters for the ICC knock-out competition in Bangladesh".

WorldTel, which is based in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, recently signed a five-year contract worth $US17 million ($38 million) with Sachin Tendulkar, the leading Indian batsman, to manage his commercial endorsements and marketing activities.

- INDEPENDENT