India vs England 2021: Betting racket busted during 2nd ODI, 35 arrested

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Bengaluru, March 27: A betting racket was busted with as many as 35 bookies arrested during the second One-day International between India and England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.

Aided by blistering knocks from Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, England thrashed India by six wickets to draw level in the three-match series with the series decider set to be held at the same venue on Sunday (March 27).

But off-field incidents dominated the high-scoring thriller at Pune with local police confirming that around 35 bookie agents were arrested for allegedly betting during the course of the match.

According to Pimpri Chinchwad Police sources, the bookies passed the information about the result of each delivery to their counterparts at their control center as the match progressed at the MCA Stadium.

City Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash confirmed that the accused were working as agents for bookies throughout the country.

Betting during cricket matches has been rampant in India where it is still deemed illegal.

It may be recalled that during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 held in the UAE, many betting rackets were busted from different parts of the country.

Robin Morris, a former first-class cricketer played for Mumbai and Odisha, too was arrested by the Versova police for his involvement in betting.