No fixing at Hong Kong Sixes, says chief

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's cricket chief has denied there is any corruption at the city's high-profile Sixes tournament after New Zealand players said they were approached and offered gifts, a report said Tuesday.

Dinesh Tandon said the Hong Kong Cricket Association was investigating after players told the International Cricket Council (ICC) a man who called himself a Middle Eastern diamond dealer made the offer during the tournament in November.

"We have been made aware by the ICC that an incident happened and we are investigating it further," Tandon told the South China Morning Post.

"But I can assure you that there has been no instance of match-fixing or spot-fixing. We have strictly adhered to ICC guidelines on corruption and I'm confident nothing happened."

The incident in November follows a furore over spot-fixing revelations during Pakistan's Test tour of England last year, which resulted in lengthy bans for three Pakistani players.

The Cricinfo website ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] said the New Zealand players -- whose team included Black Cap veterans Scott Styris, Darryl Tuffey and Nathan McCullum -- were interviewed by ICC anti-corruption officials.

"The Hong Kong Sixes aren't the usual bilateral series or an ICC event, these sorts of events that do take place that are festivals if you like," New Zealand players' association chief Heath Mills told Cricinfo.

"And obviously if there isn't an ICC anti-corruption official there to police it, a lot of the protocols aren't going to be followed."

The Hong Kong Sixes, which started in 1992 and often features star international players, is not an ICC event but is sanctioned by the world governing body.