NEW DELHI, Nov 20: Indian cricketer Abhijit Kale faces a life ban from the game after he reportedly offered bribes to the selectors to get picked for the national ‘A’ team, sources said on Thursday.

“Yes, it has happened. We are investigating the matter,” a highly-placed source at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told AFP.

Kale was not selected for the India ‘A’ team taking part in an ongoing series at home against Sri Lanka’s ‘A’ team.

The 30-year-old cricketer, who hails from Maharashtra state in western India, is a right-hand batsman and played one limited-overs international in Bangladesh in April this year.

The two selectors who were offered bribes of one million rupees each (21,700 dollars) were former Test cricketers Pranob Roy and Kiran More, the source said. Both men rejected the bribes.

The duo are part of the five-member selection committee headed by former Test wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani. The remaining selectors in the panel are Sanjay Jagdale and Kirti Azad.

BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya was expected to make a statement late Thursday.

Kale could be banned for life if found guilty by the BCCI investigators. —AFP