India

Organisers lost over $2 million when benefit cricket matches involving Indian, South African and Sri Lankan players were called off following the recent match fixing controversy.

Former South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje confessed on Thursday to approaching two team mates about fixing a one-day match against India this year and admitted accepting nearly $100,000 from bookmakers since 1996.

The King commission into match-fixing faces a crucial week in which it will hear the testimony of former South African captain Hansie Cronje, the man at the centre of the storm.

South African cricketer Pieter Strydom said on Friday former captain Hansie Cronje had offered him up to 140,000 rand ($19,800) if the team scored less than 250 runs in a test against India in February. Strydom, who is among four South African players accused by Indian police of match-rigging, told a government inquiry into alleged match-fixing the match involved was the first test against India in Mumbai, from February 24 to 26.

India's largest private internet service provider Satyam Infoway Ltd has taken a 25 percent stake in Cricinfo Ltd and expects revenue of $2.0 million over the next year from the deal.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has dismissed corruption allegations against its president Jagmohan Dalmiya on the opening day of a two-day meeting to discuss a match-fixing crisis.

The International Cricket Council is to launch an independent inquiry into the match-fixing charges against Hansie Cronje after getting all the relevant details from the South African cricket board and Delhi police.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the International Cricket Council, has said allegations of match-fixing by four South African players would be probed once the ICC had been officially informed.

Internet company Pacific Century CyberWorks has snapped up the exclusive internet broadcasting rights to international cricket matches played in India.

Three capital cities and Hong Kong have presented bids to host the 2006 Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has confirmed.

The editor of cricket bible Wisden, Matthew Engel, has announced he is quitting the job at the cricket almanack for at least a year because he was tired of having to write about England's "relentless failures".

ESPN Star Sports has secured an exclusive cable and satellite deal with the ATP Tour for the new Tennis Masters Series, previously known as the Mercedes Super 9 Series and the Tennis Masters Cup for the 2000 though 2002 seasons.

UK sport radio station talkSPORT has won the ball-by-ball rights to the next England/Australia Ashes series Down Under.

England's plans to host a triangular one-day tournament involving India and Pakistan have been put on hold due to political tensions on the sub-continent, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said.

Australian media group Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (PBL) has confirmed its Nine Network has been selected by Indian broadcaster Doordarshan to produce television coverage of international cricket played in India.

The England cricket team’s tour of India later this year looks set to be shelved because of the political crisis in the Middle East.