Chandigarh Lions skipper, Chris Cairns, and team-mate, Dinesh Mongia, have been suspended for the remainder of the Indian Cricket League season on disciplinary grounds.

While no official reason for punishment has been offered by the organisers of the tournament, it is widely believed that the players have been caught fixing matches.

South African Andrew Hall has been named as the side's replacement captain.

Some news channels have carried an unlikely story that New Zealander Cairns was suspended for hiding an injury and that Mongia has had to join him because he helped cover it up. But Cricket365 has it on good authority that the charge is far more severe than that.

One source has said that Cairns has skipped the country and is currently in Dubai.

These revelations have the potential to spoil the ICL party that was just beginning to gain momentum as a successful competition. For the first time, the series has been enjoying capacity crowds.

All betting in India is illegal despite the country having the largest cricket betting industry in the world. Bookmakers in India operate 'underground' and it is believed that the industry pays substantial bribes to police and other authorities.

Nick Sadleir