(Image source from: NewsX)

Amid investigations on profound corruption in Sri Lankan cricket, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti Corruption Unit official Alex Marshall disclosed an appalling fact that most of the bookies indulging in corrupt doings are Indians.

Last week, legendary Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya tuned out to be the first high profile player from the island nation to be charged for breaching ICC's anti-corruption code. The erstwhile Sri Lanka skipper has been charged for non-co-operation with investigating authorities.

Recently, ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit shared information about active corruptors with England and Sri Lankan cricketers, presently active in a limited overs series.

Asked if all involved corruptors are local, ICC's General Manager ACU, Marshall, told ESPN Cricinfo: "In Sri Lanka, it was both local and Indian corruptors. In most other parts of the world, it is mostly corrupt Indian bookies."

Marshall's disclosures, even though alarming, is not astonishing after Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria on Thursday admitted to spot-fixing, having taken money from an Indian bookie.

Even when the match-fixing scandal broke in 2000, most of the corrupt bookies hanging around the players were believed to be of Indian-origin.

"During the briefing (to England and Sri Lanka players), we showed names and pictures of active corruptors in cricket who were trying to get at players both in Sri Lanka and at tournaments elsewhere in the world," Marshall said.

He further said, "So we have openly shared the current information of active corruptors, we have shown their pictures, given their names and details. This way we felt the players are better informed. The exercise has already lead to new information coming forward from the teams".

Marshall said that ICC is currently monitoring "12-20 active corruptors" while there is suspicion on at least six, who the players should be wary of.

"We showed them six. There are probably 12-20 very active corruptors that we are currently monitoring. The pictures shown were all men, but there are a couple of women, too, involved in the whole picture," added Marshall.

-Sowmya Sangam