(Reuters) – Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals after a last-gasp home draw against Australia on Tuesday, while arch-rivals South Korea also conjured up a late equaliser in Beirut to inch closer to a spot in Brazil.

The 62,000-plus crowd at Saitama stadium survived anxious moments before playmaker Keisuke Honda converted an injury-time penalty as Japan salvaged a draw to grab one of the two direct qualifications from Group B.

Oman downed Iraq 1-0 in Muscat to leapfrog Australia into the second place with nine points from seven matches, turning the heat on the Socceroos who have played one match less and are level with Jordan with seven points.

In Beirut, a profligate South Korea eked out a 1-1 draw against a dogged Lebanese side to top group B with 11 points from six matches, ahead of Uzbekistan on goal difference.

In the same group, Iran downed Qatar 1-0 to trail the leaders by a single point as the race for the second direct qualification berth intensified.

The team that finishes third in the group can still qualify for Brazil, but must win a two-legged playoff against the equivalent finisher in Group A before another playoff against the fifth-placed team in South America.

At Saitama, Honda had his ‘came-saw-and-conquered’ moment as the bleach-blond playmaker converted the injury-time spot-kick after Tommy Oar had put Australia ahead in the 81st minute.

Honda had arrived in Japan only on Monday, after helping CSKA Moscow win the Russian Cup.

“It’s a shame we could not get a win but I am glad we have sealed qualification for the World Cup,” he was quoted as saying by Japan’s Kyodo news agency.

“Lucky for us we were able to get a penalty and I was able to put it away.”

The mood was different in the Australian camp where Tim Cahill admitted the road ahead was far from smooth.

“I think when you look at it we probably would have taken a point beforehand but it’s just hard to take conceding a penalty,” said the former Everton midfielder.

“We showed a lot of positives as a team. For us we want everyone to be upbeat and get themselves right. We have got a massive, massive game in our next one.”

‘BE REALISTIC’

Much of the pressure stems from Oman, who held the Socceroos to a surprise 2-2 draw at home in the previous round and again defied the odds to down Iraq and boost their hopes of a maiden World Cup appearance.

Oman coach Paul Le Guen refused to get carried way, however, despite his team’s success without star goalkeeper Al Habsi and striker Amad Al Hosni.

“We are not close to Brazil. We are closer than we were a few months ago, but I think we have a chance for third place,” said the Frenchman.

“When you are coach of Oman you have to be realistic. Our league is not professional and we are in contention for third place with one game remaining.”

For South Korea coach Choi Kang Hee, the main worry would be the team’s poor finishing.

Stung by Hassan Maatouk’s 12th minute strike, the South Koreans mounted attack after attack in the lop-sided second half in Beirut, but had to wait until seven minutes into the added time for Kim Chi Woo’s free-kick to be deflected off the defensive wall into the net.

That equalising goal earned South Korea a valuable point.

The three points Iran earned in Doha were no less valuable, as shown by coach Antonio Simoes’s reaction after the match.

“We deserved to win today as we played well which helped us to get three important points,” said the Portuguese.

“We will not celebrate as we have still two matches remaining.”

Iran host both Lebanon (June 11) and South Korea (June 18) in their remaining two matches.

(Editing by Ian Ransom)

The 62,000-plus crowd at Saitama stadium survived anxious moments before playmaker Keisuke Honda converted an injury-time penalty as Japan salvaged a draw to grab one of the two direct qualifications from Group B.

Oman downed Iraq 1-0 in Muscat to leapfrog Australia into the second place with nine points from seven matches, turning the heat on the Socceroos who have played one match less and are level with Jordan with seven points.

In Beirut, a profligate South Korea eked out a 1-1 draw against a dogged Lebanese side to top group B with 11 points from six matches, ahead of Uzbekistan on goal difference.

In the same group, Iran downed Qatar 1-0 to trail the leaders by a single point as the race for the second direct qualification berth intensified.

The team that finishes third in the group can still qualify for Brazil, but must win a two-legged playoff against the equivalent finisher in Group A before another playoff against the fifth-placed team in South America.

At Saitama, Honda had his ‘came-saw-and-conquered’ moment as the bleach-blond playmaker converted the injury-time spot-kick after Tommy Oar had put Australia ahead in the 81st minute.

Honda had arrived in Japan only on Monday, after helping CSKA Moscow win the Russian Cup.

“It’s a shame we could not get a win but I am glad we have sealed qualification for the World Cup,” he was quoted as saying by Japan’s Kyodo news agency.

“Lucky for us we were able to get a penalty and I was able to put it away.”

The mood was different in the Australian camp where Tim Cahill admitted the road ahead was far from smooth.

“I think when you look at it we probably would have taken a point beforehand but it’s just hard to take conceding a penalty,” said the former Everton midfielder.

“We showed a lot of positives as a team. For us we want everyone to be upbeat and get themselves right. We have got a massive, massive game in our next one.”

‘BE REALISTIC’

Much of the pressure stems from Oman, who held the Socceroos to a surprise 2-2 draw at home in the previous round and again defied the odds to down Iraq and boost their hopes of a maiden World Cup appearance.

Oman coach Paul Le Guen refused to get carried way, however, despite his team’s success without star goalkeeper Al Habsi and striker Amad Al Hosni.

“We are not close to Brazil. We are closer than we were a few months ago, but I think we have a chance for third place,” said the Frenchman.

“When you are coach of Oman you have to be realistic. Our league is not professional and we are in contention for third place with one game remaining.”

For South Korea coach Choi Kang Hee, the main worry would be the team’s poor finishing.

Stung by Hassan Maatouk’s 12th minute strike, the South Koreans mounted attack after attack in the lop-sided second half in Beirut, but had to wait until seven minutes into the added time for Kim Chi Woo’s free-kick to be deflected off the defensive wall into the net.

That equalising goal earned South Korea a valuable point.

The three points Iran earned in Doha were no less valuable, as shown by coach Antonio Simoes’s reaction after the match.

“We deserved to win today as we played well which helped us to get three important points,” said the Portuguese.

“We will not celebrate as we have still two matches remaining.”

Iran host both Lebanon (June 11) and South Korea (June 18) in their remaining two matches. (Editing by Ian Ransom)

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, for allegedly taking money to concede pre-determined number of runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches has exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly and sparked nationwide outrage.

The trio have denied any wrongdoing. Police have launched a nationwide hunt for illegal bookmakers.

The board has set up a commission to probe allegations against Srinivasan’s son-in-law and IPL Chennai franchise official Gurunath Meiyappan who has been arrested as part of a police investigation into illegal betting.

“Mr. N. Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as the President of the Board till such time as the probe is completed,” BCCI joint secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.

Former ICC and BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya would look after the board’s daily affairs until then, Thakur said after the board’s executive committee meeting in Chennai.

On Saturday, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla resigned, barely 24 hours after BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke had quit their posts.

The board has asked both Jagdale and Shirke to withdraw their resignations.

(Editing by Clare Fallon)

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, for allegedly taking money to concede pre-determined number of runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches has exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly and sparked nationwide outrage.

The trio have denied any wrongdoing. Police have launched a nationwide hunt for illegal bookmakers.

The board has set up a commission to probe allegations against Srinivasan’s son-in-law and IPL Chennai franchise official Gurunath Meiyappan who has been arrested as part of a police investigation into illegal betting.

“Mr. N. Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as the President of the Board till such time as the probe is completed,” BCCI joint secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.

Former ICC and BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya would look after the board’s daily affairs until then, Thakur said after the board’s executive committee meeting in Chennai.

On Saturday, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla resigned, barely 24 hours after BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke had quit their posts.

The board has asked both Jagdale and Shirke to withdraw their resignations.

(Editing by Clare Fallon)

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, for allegedly taking money to concede pre-determined number of runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches has exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly and sparked nationwide outrage.

The trio have denied any wrongdoing. Police have launched a nationwide hunt for illegal bookmakers.

The board has set up a commission to probe allegations against Srinivasan’s son-in-law and IPL Chennai franchise official Gurunath Meiyappan who has been arrested as part of a police investigation into illegal betting.

“Mr. N. Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as the President of the Board till such time as the probe is completed,” BCCI joint secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.

Former ICC and BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya would look after the board’s daily affairs until then, Thakur said after the board’s executive committee meeting in Chennai.

On Saturday, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla resigned, barely 24 hours after BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke had quit their posts.

The board has asked both Jagdale and Shirke to withdraw their resignations. (Editing by Clare Fallon)

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, for allegedly taking money to concede pre-determined number of runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches has exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly and sparked nationwide outrage.

The trio have denied any wrongdoing. Police have launched a nationwide hunt for illegal bookmakers.

The board has set up a commission to probe allegations against Srinivasan’s son-in-law and IPL Chennai franchise official Gurunath Meiyappan who has been arrested as part of a police investigation into illegal betting.

“Mr. N. Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as the President of the Board till such time as the probe is completed,” BCCI joint secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.

Former ICC and BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya would look after the board’s daily affairs until then, Thakur said after the board’s executive committee meeting in Chennai.

On Saturday, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla resigned, barely 24 hours after BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke had quit their posts.

The board has asked both Jagdale and Shirke to withdraw their resignations. (Editing by Clare Fallon)

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, have exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly.

Delhi Police have accused the trio of taking money from bookmakers to concede a pre-determined number of runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches but the cricketers have denied any wrongdoing.

“It has always hurt me when the game of cricket is in the news for the wrong reasons,” Tendulkar, who quit IPL after his team won the sixth edition of the tournament on Sunday, said in a statement to the media.

“The developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing. As cricketers, we are always taught to go out, fight hard, give our very best and play in the true spirit of the game.

“During this difficult phase, I join every cricketer… who trust the authorities to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue,” the 40-year-old player added.

The scandal has shaken India’s belief in their cricketing idols and there has been outrage over the roles of the politicians holding key positions in the cricket board.

Apart from scores of bookies from across the country which has confined legal sports betting to horse racing, police have arrested a key official of IPL’s Chennai franchise in connection with the scandal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was posed the question on Friday while returning from a foreign trip, with a journalist asking him about possible government intervention in the scandal.

“They are under investigations and it won’t be proper for me to comment on the stage of investigations,” Singh said.

“I would only hope that politics and sports don’t get mixed up,” he added.

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, have exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly.

Delhi Police have accused the trio of taking money from bookmakers to concede a pre-determined number of runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches but the cricketers have denied any wrongdoing.

“It has always hurt me when the game of cricket is in the news for the wrong reasons,” Tendulkar, who quit IPL after his team won the sixth edition of the tournament on Sunday, said in a statement to the media.

“The developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing. As cricketers, we are always taught to go out, fight hard, give our very best and play in the true spirit of the game.

“During this difficult phase, I join every cricketer… who trust the authorities to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue,” the 40-year-old player added.

The scandal has shaken India’s belief in their cricketing idols and there has been outrage over the roles of the politicians holding key positions in the cricket board.

Apart from scores of bookies from across the country which has confined legal sports betting to horse racing, police have arrested a key official of IPL’s Chennai franchise in connection with the scandal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was posed the question on Friday while returning from a foreign trip, with a journalist asking him about possible government intervention in the scandal.

“They are under investigations and it won’t be proper for me to comment on the stage of investigations,” Singh said.

“I would only hope that politics and sports don’t get mixed up,” he added.

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, have exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly.

Delhi Police have accused the trio of taking money from bookmakers to concede a pre-determined number of runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches but the cricketers have denied any wrongdoing.

“It has always hurt me when the game of cricket is in the news for the wrong reasons,” Tendulkar, who quit IPL after his team won the sixth edition of the tournament on Sunday, said in a statement to the media.

“The developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing. As cricketers, we are always taught to go out, fight hard, give our very best and play in the true spirit of the game.

“During this difficult phase, I join every cricketer… who trust the authorities to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue,” the 40-year-old player added.

The scandal has shaken India’s belief in their cricketing idols and there has been outrage over the roles of the politicians holding key positions in the cricket board.

Apart from scores of bookies from across the country which has confined legal sports betting to horse racing, police have arrested a key official of IPL’s Chennai franchise in connection with the scandal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was posed the question on Friday while returning from a foreign trip, with a journalist asking him about possible government intervention in the scandal.

“They are under investigations and it won’t be proper for me to comment on the stage of investigations,” Singh said.

“I would only hope that politics and sports don’t get mixed up,” he added. (Editing by …)

Flanked by two policemen and his face covered with a black cloth, one of the most recognisable sportsmen in India kept his head bowed as newspaper photographers clicked away.

The slim, 30-year old, who can hurl the ball at speeds of up to 145 km per hour (90 mph) at opposing batsmen, was arrested ten days ago, police said, for receiving 4 million rupees ($71,000) from bookies for underperforming in a match in the multi-billion dollar Indian Premier League (IPL), the sport’s richest tournament. He and two other players were provisionally charged with cheating, fraud and breach of trust.

In a statement to media through his lawyer, Sreesanth denied any wrongdoing and said he was confident he would be proven innocent “and my honour and dignity will be vindicated and restored”. The two other players and 11 bookies, who are also in custody, have not commented on the allegations.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI), which runs the IPL, has set up its own inquiry into the scandal.

The BCCI and the IPL did not return calls from Reuters for comment on the case, but N. Srinivasan, the BCCI president, told reporters after the arrests: “Three players have allegedly indulged in something.

“We do not believe that the whole of IPL is wrong. Actually, we are very grateful to the public who filled the stadiums (even) after this news came out.”

On Friday, Srinivasan’s son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, was also arrested by police probing illegal betting in the IPL. Meiyappan, who is among the management of one of the teams in the tournament, remains in custody and unreachable for comment.

His team is playing in the final of this year’s IPL on Sunday.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that there is evidence of his involvement in this offence that we are investigating…” joint commissioner of Mumbai Police Himanshu Roy told reporters after the arrest.

Srinivasan, Meiyappan’s father-in-law, told local television the law would take its course. “Whatever he has to defend, I’m sure he would defend adequately,” he said.

GENTLEMAN’S GAME

Cricket, the “gentleman’s game” of the British Empire nations, has been hit by a series of gambling-related scandals in international matches in recent years and several players have been convicted of throwing games.

But Sreesanth’s case is the first time allegations of “fixing” in the IPL are being heard in a court of law, despite a huge, illegal betting industry that has grown up around the tournament. Local media has estimated wagers on IPL games reached $427 million in 2009, although gambling on sport remains illegal in India, except for horse-racing.

Srinivasan says the BCCI “cannot police and control every bookie in town – We do not have the resources.”

“Cricket is a gentleman’s game. We will put in place all measures to the maximum extent possible to monitor players’ behaviour … so that such things do not recur,” he said.

Bets are laid on results, but also on the total number of runs scored in matches, the number of “no-balls” or foul deliveries by bowlers, and the number of runs scored per six-delivery “over”.

Enormous sums of money can be won if players can be bribed or coerced to manipulate outcomes.

“I’m not shocked at what has happened. I’m shocked so little came out,” Rahul Mehra, a lawyer who has filed cases against the BCCI and other sports associations in India seeking more transparency in their operations, told Reuters.

In the IPL’s two-month season, nine franchises play each other in a shortened three-hour version of the game, with cheerleaders, blanket television coverage and celebrity owners including India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Players are bought for millions of dollars at auctions – in 2011, Indian national team star Gautam Gambhir was engaged at $2.4 million by one of the franchises. And in cricket-mad India, the first 16 of this year’s fixtures attracted 140 million TV viewers.

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

For decades, cricket was a sleepy, laid-back pastime, but the shorter, television-friendly forms of the sport have brought an influx of money, especially in India.

Experts on cricket say the large sums at stake and easy access to cricketers by bookies are clouding the future of the game. Also, the absence of any law to deal specifically with fixing in sport is a problem.

Law Minister Kapil Sibal has said the charges of cheating and fraud, being used by police against Sreesanth and the others, do not “adequately deal” with the offence.

Sreesanth and the others were arrested after police tapped telephone conversations between two of the cricketers and the bookies. New Delhi’s police commissioner says the case has put a rare spotlight on the nexus between players, bookmakers and the underworld in India.

The three players are accused of “spot-fixing”, which refers to the manipulation by players of specific moments within a match, for example how a ball is bowled, and not the result itself.

Police said the taped conversations revealed details of spot-fixing plans, the signals players would make to the bookies and the amount of money they would get in return. They allege Sreesanth and the two other players agreed to take money from bookmakers to concede a certain number of runs in an over, a set of six balls bowled during a match.

Police alleged that Sreesanth tucked a towel into his waistband during one game to signal to the bookie, giving him enough time to take bets before he resumed bowling.

The spot-fixing did not always go smoothly, Delhi police chief Neeraj Kumar said. Of the other two arrested cricketers, one, Ajit Chandila, is alleged to have had to return 2 million rupees ($36,000) to the bookie he had struck a deal with, Kumar said. Despite conceding the pre-determined number of runs, he forgot to signal to the bookie that he was about to do it, the police chief said.

In another match, the third cricketer in custody, Ankeet Chavan, rotated his wristband to give the go-ahead to the bookies to take bets and was paid 6 million rupees ($110,000) in return, Kumar said.

Chavan’s lawyer Rajiv Dwivedi told Reuters his client was innocent and was being falsely implicated. Chandila’s lawyer could not be reached despite repeated phone calls.

ANTI-CORRUPTION WATCHDOG

The Indian cricket board employs the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to oversee the IPL games, including monitoring teams at their hotels and in the stadium where the match is being played to make sure they are not approached by bookies.

The ACSU however has no power to arrest any player and if it spots any wrongdoing in the IPL, it would have to report to the BCCI.

“This incident emphasises the threats all players face and need for the anti-corruption units of the International Cricket Council and its members to work even closer with the various law enforcement agencies around the world who have the necessary investigatory authority and resources,” ACSU chief Y.P. Singh said in a statement.

The IPL tournament takes place in April and May. For players from modest backgrounds, it means two months of city-hopping and luxurious living in five-star hotels as media stars. At the end of the tournament, they return to their home states, where they earn much less playing for state teams.

“IPL is paying them so much and I’m happy for that. But easy money on offer is making them vulnerable,” Madan Lal, a member of the Indian team that won the 1983 World Cup, told Reuters, referring to the temptations for players to fall in with the bookies.

Some former and current cricketers say a few players could be enticed into illegal money-making ventures because they are unsure if they will be selected the following season and want to cash in on their current status.

“We want to weed out these elements,” said Rajeev Shukla, a government minister and chairman of the IPL’s governing council.

“After all, so much money is being paid to these players and if they are (still) doing it, it’s the height of greed,” he said in a recent television interview.

($1 = 55.5612 Indian rupees)

(Additional reporting by Anurag Kotoky and Suchitra Mohanty; Editing by Ross Colvin and Raju Gopalakrishnan)