New Delhi: The Cricket Board today described an English newspaper report of BCCI keeping quiet on Suresh Raina accompanying a woman allegedly linked to bookies during the Sri Lankan tour as 'baseless', saying that she was the agent of the Indian batsman.
A report in London 'Sunday Times' claimed that ICC's ACSU is probing why Indian Board kept quiet about a report by Sri Lanka Cricket of Raina being seen in company of a woman linked to an associate of a bookie.
Terming the report as "baseless and false", BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said the Crcket Board has not received any such complaint from the SLC.
"The BCCI has just learnt that several media outlets are claiming that Sri Lanka Cricket had submitted a report on Suresh Raina to it, and that no action was taken by the Board on the same," he said in a statement.
"The BCCI would like to clarify that it has received no such report from SLC. The claims being made by a section of the media are totally baseless and false," he said.
BCCI spokesperson Rajiv Shukla also termed the report as "untrue" and said the woman was Raina's agent.
"That is untrue and baseless. It's all rubbish. No complaint had ever come to BCCI from either the ICC or SLC. BCCI had never received any complaint on this matter. Actually, the lady is Raina's agent," Shukla told PTI.
"Raina was with the lady to sign some papers and complete formalities. She was also agent of some Sri Lankan players. It has nothing to do with any anti-corruption matter or any matter outside cricket," said Shukla who is also BCCI Vice-President.
"It is just media speculation and nothing else," he said.
According to 'Sunday Times', Raina on more than one night was seen in the company of a woman known to be an associate of a man allegedly linked to a bookmaker.
It said the SLC gave a report to BCCI of Raina accompanying a woman alleged to have links with a bookie along with footages of CCTV cameras installed at the Indian team hotel in Sri Lanka.
According to the newspaper report, it is the reaction of the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan that has led to the ICC investigation. Instead of acting on the report, Srinivasan is alleged to have got the Sri Lankans withdraw it.
23-year-old Raina plays for Chennai Super Kings, an IPL franchise owned by Indian Cements of which Srinivasan is a vice-chairman and managing director.
The investigation, led by ACSU head Ravi Sawani is believed to be looking into why SLC shared the report with the BCCI first when under ICC anti-corruption rules it should have gone straight to the world governing body, the newspaper said quoting unnamed ICC sources.