Andhra man texts Mohammed Siraj for help after losing money through betting; pacer reports incident to BCCI - Reports

A punter from Andhra Pradesh reportedly contacted Mohammed Siraj in a bid to recover from financial losses through betting.

The incident, which took place during India's ODI series against Australia, was reported by the pacer to the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).

The BCCI and the ACU worked closely with the cyber police to nab the person in question. The accused contacted Siraj through WhatsApp and asked him for help gaining money through betting. As per a report in the New Indian Express, a source on the BCCI's ACU team said:

“He sent messages on WhatsApp to Siraj informing him about the losses he incurred on betting and wanted his help. He requested the pacer to help him out. Siraj informed us about the approach."

The betting racket has gathered steam with the commencement of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). Numerous incidents have already been reported and brought down to a close by police forces across the country.

Reporting such instances has become crucial in the long run. Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was handed a suspension by the ICC's ACU after not reporting an approach by the bookies during the 2018 IPL as well as the tri-series in Zimbabwe.

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The accused is not associated with any gang nor does he have past record of betting - Sources

The report further states that the accused was caught in Andhra Pradesh and there is no larger scheme of things set in motion as he is not associated with any gangs.

As the story suggests, he just happened to lose money while betting and asked for the cricketer's help to recover it. The source added:

“The accused is not associated with any gang nor does he have past record of betting. He lost a lot of money while betting on matches and was hoping Siraj would help him to get out of the situation.

"We took the help of the cyber police. We also kept his phone under observation with the help of local police. Eventually, we traced him. Our officers accompanied local police when he was caught somewhere in Andhra."

Siraj is currently representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the ongoing IPL season. He has made a strong start to the campaign by claiming eight wickets in five matches so far.