AFP, New Delhi :
India’s cricketers have been asked not to give autographs to fans during matches because of fears they will pass on illegal information to bookmakers, a newspaper report said Monday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is under pressure to crack down on corruption following a series of betting and fixing scandals that rocked its Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.
“We have asked cricketers not to give autographs” while the cricket body considers introducing an outright ban, BCCI official K.S. Madhavan told the Times of India.
The time-honoured tradition could be stopped at all matches organised by the BCCI including the highly popular IPL and the Champions League Twenty20, he said.
As the World Cup moves towards quarter-final showdowns in Australia and New Zealand, Madhavan said the BCCI was also trying to ban autograph signing during matches held overseas.
