ECB mulling over interviewing players linked to Rajasthan Royals following IPL spot fixing scandal

In a response to the spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the Indian Premier League (IPL), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may reportedly arrange interview any player under its jurisdiction who has had links to the Rajasthan Royals.

Three of the Royals players - Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila and the former international seamer S Sreesanth - were arrested on Thursday along with 11 bookmakers after a police sting, and it has since emerged that one of the bookmakers, Amit Singh, used to play for the franchise, the Guardian reports.

According to the report, former England batsman and Essex player Owais Shah is in his second season with the Rajasthan franchise and cricketers Michael Lumb and Dimitri Mascarenhas have played for the Royals in the past.

The report further said that the IPL spot-fixing controversy immediately alerted ECB's anti-corruption department, headed by the former police inspector Chris Watts, who is in regular contact with all English players who are employed abroad in various Twenty20 competitions.

However, the report said that there is no suggestion that any of those three have been involved in corruption, adding that any ECB response will merely be part of its determination to stay as informed as possible over any threats of corruption.

Meanwhile, former England captain Andrew Strauss urged Indian players not to miss Test matches for the IPL, saying that Test matches should always come first for a player.