Raina was supposed to lead side in Zimbabwe before bribery allegations: Reports

Reports have emerged that Suresh Raina was supposed to lead the Indian team on the recently concluded tour of Zimbabwe before the selectors gave the nod to Ajinkya Rahane.

The reason, it seems, was intervention from BCCI official, according to a report in the Indian Express, which stated the reason was former IPL chief Lalit Modi naming him and two others in an email to ICC, the report states.

The left-handed batsman was rested in the end along with other senior players, preventing him from leading the country in a full tour for the second time after his successful outing in 2014 in Bangladesh.

Suresh Raina, who recently made the switch from Rhiti sports (long associated with Dhoni) to IOS management, had earlier denied all allegations.

“In the wake of recent media reports about me, I would like to make my fans around the world aware and clear the air that I have always played the game in right spirit and with utmost integrity,” Raina had said in a statement.

“I have never been involved in any wrong doing and all allegations against me are false. Playing cricket is my passion for whichever team I have represented. I’m also figuring out my legal rights to take the right steps ahead in this matter.”

Modi had alleged that two leading Indian cricketers and a West Indian player had been bribed by an Indian real estate tycoon, who is also a bookmaker.

London-based Modi had tweeted a letter he claimed to have written to International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Dave Richardson in June 2013.

Modi then went on to name the three players, who he claimed were in close contact with the real estate tycoon who was also named in the letter.

Modi stated that he had been informed by “reliable sources” that the tycoon had paid in cash and kind to the three players.

The ICC acknowledged receiving the letter from Modi but gave the cricketers a clean chits saying that no evidence was found against them.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said “there is nothing in it” when asked about the ICC acknowledging a letter from Modi in June 2013, claiming that two cricketers from India and a West Indian were paid in cash and kind to the tune of Rs 20 crore each.

“Lalit Modi had written a letter to ICC, so they informed BCCI about the letter. The three players are international players and fall under the international jurisdiction. There is no information on these players from ICC so far, so it is in a way a clean chit for them to play,” Thakur had said during the press meet announcing Rahane would lead the team on

With PTI inputs