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The spot-fix scandal that rocked the ongoing Indian Premier League following the arrest of pacer S Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals players has come as "a bolt from the blue", BCCI president N Srinivasan said today.
"I don't know about others, but I was shocked. It was a bolt from the blue. The BCCI is shocked that this has happened because we never expected this," the Board chief told reporters here from Kodaikanal via a video conference.
Sreesanth and two of his Royals teammates - Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - were arrested early this morning on charges of spot-fixing.
A special cell of the Delhi police arrested Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan after their team's IPL match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium here last night.
While Sreesanth was picked up from his friend's residence, Chavan and Chandila were taken into custody from the team hotel at Nariman Point here.
"Here as you see the people involved are Ranji Trophy players and one of them is a Test player. That is what is shocking," the Board chief said.
Srinivasan brushed aside criticism in some quarters that the cash-rich IPL was primed for such a scandal and said "I don't subscribe to the view that it's not surprising".
The Board chief assured the cricket fans that the "strictest possible action" would be taken against the trio who have been charged with spot-fixing by the Delhi police - if they are found guilty.
"We will do whatever is necessary. The sport is clean and we are running it clean. We have taken all the steps (to keep it clean). One or two bad eggs here and there cannot sully the entire game," he said.
"We have taken a lot of time and energy to educate the players and have set up our own anti-corruption unit to keep the game clean. We will not hesitate to take the strictest action against anybody who is found indulging in such corrupt practices," he added.
