ICC anti-corruption unit meets Nupur Mehta

 The ICC's anti-corruption and security unit met with actress Nupur Mehta in connection with a Sunday Times report in March that said that the illegal booking mafia had hired an unidentified Indian actress to "honey trap" cricketers into match-fixing and spot-fixing. Mehta, whose unidentified photograph was used in the story, met with the ACSU's Alan Peacock at a Mumbai hotel and later told the Times of India that she had been "given a clean chit".

The ICC would not comment on the meeting because it had a "no comment policy on the ACSU, which works independently".

The Sunday Times report was written by Mazher Mahmood, the undercover reporter behind the News of the World sting operation into spot-fixing. The report did not mention Mehta's name but carried a pixellated photograph of an actress. The report said: "The ICC is aware of the activities of a Bollywood actress, suspected of attempting to subvert players." A few hours after the Sunday Times story became public, Mehta stepped forward and identified the photograph as hers. She said while she had met a few cricketers, she did not have any links with bookies. Her lawyer said she would be suing the Sunday Times for Rs 10 crore ($1.78 million) for using her photograph without her permission.

The Times of India quoted Mehta as saying, "They [the ACSU] are satisfied with the answers I have provided. I have many friends who are cricketers and with whom I socialise... I also know a lot of international cricketers."

It is learnt that the meeting - the exact date is not known but it is believed to have taken place over the weekend - between Mehta and Peacock was part of the ACSU's routine practices of information-gathering whenever any individual's name crops up. It was not to be confused with either an interrogation or an exercise in ensuring that Mehta cleared her name. Mehta was talked to by the ACSU because her name came up in the Sunday Times story.

What the ACSU is unlikely to have accounted for, however, was her publicising her conversation with the ACSU. On Monday night, a television channel also carried blurred spycam images of the conversation between Mehta and Peacock.

India favourites to lift Twenty20 World Cup: Williamson

With less than 100 days to go to the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson feels that cricketing powerhouse India will be amongst the favourites to lift the trophy.
Williamson feels that India will be the team to be beat at the T20 World Cup, although Pakistan and Sri Lanka are also amongst the favourites in Sri Lankan conditions.
"The obvious favourites are India, although Pakistan and Sri Lanka are also strong contenders as they are familiar with the conditions.
"But there are other great teams around too that will push the Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan sides. Twenty20 cricket is just so unpredictable, who knows on the day - anything is literally possible," Williamson told Pakpassion.net.

Should Gambhir replace Dhoni as Test captain?

Harish Kotian
After leading Kolkata Knight Riders to their maiden Indian Premier League title last month, Gautam Gambhir's ambitions of being the next Indian captain received a fillip.
The very fact that he outclassed current India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team (Chennai Super Kings) in the IPL final gave rise to a debate whether the time is right to hand him the reins of the beleagured Indian Test team, which suffered two consecutive whitewashes, in England and Australia last year.
- Away Test failures puncture Dhoni's leadership aura
And, Gambhir, for that matter, pushed his case by expressing his desire to lead the Test side.
'I am ready for it. Ready for the responsibility of the challenge, because you want to take different challenges as well. That's where your mental toughness and character will be tested,' he said after the IPL final, on being asked whether he is ready to take over as Test captain.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also gave his backing to Gambhir.
'As I've always said, there will be a question mark over Dhoni as a Test player. But Gambhir is an obvious choice in the Test format and gives an option to the selectors. It's a 20 percent chance though,' opined the Kolkatan.
But it is one's record alone, and not opinion, that should be the criteria when making a decision on India's next Test captain
Therefore, we look at how Dhoni and Gambhir have fared in Test cricket over the last four years. Check out their contribution to India's victo