Players, bookies had evolved code: Delhi Police chief

New Delhi – Rotate your watch, put a towel in your trousers and remove your vest/shirt. These were some codes IPL players used to signal to bookies that they would be giving away runs in that particular over, Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar said Thursday.

“There was an agreement between bookies and players that they would give a predetermined minimum number of runs in that particular over,” Neeraj Kumar told reporters.

Detailing the modus operandi, he said: “Bookies also told them that they would have to give indications before start of an over about giving away runs. The indications included rotate your watch, put a towel in your trousers, put some time on looking around the field, take out locket or chain from your shirt and lift vest/shirt.”

The first incident of spot-fixing, he said, was found in the May 5 match between Pune Warriors and Rajasthan Royals. This was followed by the May 9 match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals and the May 15 match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.

Fast bowler Sreesanth and his Rajasthan Royals colleagues Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila along with 11 bookies were arrested in Mumbai Thursday for alleged spot fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Delhi Police showed video proof and call records between all the three players and bookies as evidence.