So long as human greed exists then corruption in any sphere of society, including sport, is going to be a possibility and it is therefore vital we remain vigilant – Haroon Lorgat, CEO of the ICC
Published: Feb 22, 2012, 02:02 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 22, 2012, 02:02 PM (IST)
Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were jailed by a London Court last year © AFP
So long as human greed exists then corruption in any sphere of society, including sport, is going to be a possibility and it is therefore vital we remain vigilant – Haroon Lorgat, CEO of the ICC
—-
International cricket, over the years, has seen a rise in scandals and corruption involving top cricketers accepting bribe from illegal bookmakers and agents to fix matches.
Since the Delhi police exposed the dark side of betting in 2000, which involved former South African captain Hansie Cronje, many other name have cropped up for their involvement in match-fixing.
The recent being the Pakistan trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and young pacer Mohammad Aamer, for their involvement in spot-fixing during the fourth Test match against England at Lord’s in 2010.
Another Pakistan player, Danish Kaneria was implicated in spot-fixing while a former Essex bowler, Mervyn Westfield was given a four-month prison sentence for his role in the scam.
Among the other scandals, Australians Mark Waugh and Shane Warne admitted offering information about the weather and pitch information to bookmaker during a series in 1994. It was concluded that cricketers were not fully informed about the hazards of interacting with bookmakers.
To control the menace of corruption, which was slowing eating into the game like cancer, The International Cricket Council (ICC), in 2000, set up an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) headed by Sir Paul Condon, former head of London’s Metropolitan Police.
The major role of the ACSU, which is currently headed by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, is to identify the culprits, including bookies and cricketers. The modus operandi has been to prevent corruption and to initiate education programme which all international cricketers undertake.
It also involves making players aware of the do’s and don’ts, when they are illegally approached by anti-social elements for match-fixing.
Though the ICC’s anti-corruption unit has come under severe criticism from various quarters for its inability to eradicate corruption from the game, signs are evident that players are in safe hands and are fearlessly acknowledging approaches from illegal agents.
Recently, Bangladesh pacer Mashrafe Mortaza and former England wicket-keeper Paul Nixon revealed that they were approached by bookmakers.
With the ICC fully involved in taking combative measure against corruption, one can be sure of things getting better in the coming days.
The ACSU is ideally placed to fight the battle against corruption in the game and help players stay protected from such evils.
