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Condon
explains he and his team were in close contact with the King Commission
in South Africa, India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and
London Metropolitan Police, who are investigating claims by Test players
Chris Lewis of England and Stephen Fleming of New Zealand that efforts
had been made to involve them in cricket corruption.
Condon
says his future program of work in the next 12 months will include
supporting CBI investigations into the links between organized crime and
match- fixing, allegations of criminal offences linked to the contract
for television rights in the ICC knockout competition in Bangladesh in
1998 and supporting the Pakistani inquiry into the 1999 World Cup match
between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
In
his 24 recommendations to stamp out future corruption, Condon recommends
a program of education and awareness for players, restricting the use of
mobile telephones and restricting access by "potential
corruptors" to dressing rooms, hotels and training grounds and
other venues.
ICC
president Malcolm Gray said it would be wrong for him to comment in
detail about the report until the ICC executive committee meets in June.
In
a statement to the media, Gray said, "The International Cricket
Council has made public the full transcripts of two reports into
match-fixing and corruption in international cricket.
"Last
week in London a panel of five commissioners sat to review the ACU
report, prepared by Sir Paul Condon. Sitting on that panel, under the
chairmanship of Lord Hugh Griffiths, were Richie Benaud from Australia,
Sir Oliver Popplewell of England, Justice Nasim Shah of Pakistan and Sir
Denys Williams of the West Indies.
"The
recommendations of this panel have been forwarded to me as president of
the ICC and passed to my colleagues on the ICC Executive Board, for
discussion at our meeting in London on June 18.
"This
meeting will be a key moment in cricket's fight back against
match-fixing, as members from around the world reaffirm their commitment
to a corruption-free future.
"Until
the executive board has met and reached its decisions, it would be
premature and wrong of me to comment on the content and recommendations
of these reports. But rest assured the sole priority of the ICC is to
protect the long-term health of the sport. No one should doubt our
determination to achieve this aim."
CBI
report thoroughly professional: Condon
London,
May 24: Lord Paul Condon, head of the International Cricket
Council's (ICC) anti-graft unit, has praised the professionalism of
India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigating
match-fixing allegations and played down allegations of murder in his
cricket corruption report.
"Legal
processes are quite slow, but certainly I hope by the end of this year
all the allegations that were made in the thoroughly professional CBI
report will have been resolved," Condon said.
In
the exclusive interview with IANS, the first since his report was
published on the Internet on Wednesday, Condon also stressed, "most
match-fixing isn't about murder and organised crime, most of it is much
lower level than that. Of course, those who have been following the
story know that allegations have been made of at least one murder and a
kidnapping linked to these events in recent years. But that's not the
core of the report or its main suggestion that this is a recent
event."
"The
major thrust of what we found was that although we think we helped stop
a great deal of the corruption that was going, there's still a small
core of people involved," he said.
"What
I've done is given the ICC a list of 24 recommendations which I think
will give a much stronger chance of stopping this," he said.
During
the interview he gave before leaving for Pakistan, Condon repeatedly
stressed that he had been given an international brief by the ICC and
was not beholden to the cricket board of any particular country.
Asked
why the England cricket authorities appeared to be dragging their feet
with regard to investigating allegations against individuals like Alec
Stewart, Condon replied, "He's been interviewed here with his
solicitor and will be interviewed again formally as will all the
cricketers who were named in the CBI report."
"There
is a full criminal investigation into allegations that Chris Lewis, the
England player, raised and a full report has been submitted by the
police. That doesn't relate to Alec Stewart. But Alec Stewart is in
exactly the same position as allegations made against the other overseas
players in the CBI report."
"Chris
Lewis alleged quite separately from the CBI report that he was
approached by bookmakers to fix matches in England. Stephen Fleming, the
New Zealand player, also said he was approached by the same people. That
led to a full criminal investigation and that the report is with the
prosecuting authorities."
Condon
said that he did not believe that further inquiries into match-fixing
and other corruption allegations would from now on be swept under the
carpet. If that were to happen, he said, "I would not stay
involved."
Asked
if he thought his recommendations to stamp out corruption went far
enough, Condon replied, "I am confident that we have given world
cricket a packet of recommendations that will have a positive
impact."
"One
of my most important recommendations is a full time member of staff who
worries about these issues in each of the boards. "It should be
someone like myself who is a former policeman, or a former military
person, someone with that sort of background who can be around the team
and make sure that people are protected I don't think it can be right
that people have easy access to the team to corrupt them."
Commenting
on his trip to Pakistan Condon added, "The timing is purely
coincidental, in the sense that it was arranged for months and months.
It so happened that I'm visiting Pakistan this week and that just leaves
me two Test playing countries to visit - Bangladesh and West Indies -
but I have visited all the others and some of the associate playing
members."
"I've
had a great deal of support from General (Taukir) Zia, the chairman (of
the Pakistan Cricket Board)," he said. "I can understand their
anxiety having an outsider (as the head of the ICC investigation),
particularly someone from England, but I see myself and my team serving
all the Test playing nations, regardless of our own backgrounds."
Muthiah
favours contract system for cricketers
Islamabad,
May 24: Cricket Board
President A C Muthiah tonight welcomed the recommendation of the Sir
Paul Condon to improve the pay packets of cricketers and felt a contract
system for players would help in instilling financial security in them.
"I personally feel its (increasing pay packets for cricketers) a
good suggestion... and contract system is a better answer to regularise
the income of the players," Muthiah revealed on phone from Lahore
where he is attending a two-day meeting of the Asian Cricket Council.
Condon, in his report on match-fixing which was made public yesterday,
said cricketers were paid less compared to some of the other sportsmen
which was one of the reasons for their being lured into corrupt
practices.
Muthiah said a contract system would ensure a regular income to a
cricketer even while he was injured and unable to play. "We will
work out a consensus (in BCCI) and try to introduce such a system for
Indian players," he said.
He also supported Condon's idea of involving players and their
representative bodies in the administration and overall management of
the game.
Muthiah said though the report did not mention any names, the
recommendations contained therein, if implemented, would go a long way
in reducing corruption in the game. "We will try and implement some
of the recommendations," he said.
PCB
chief impressed with Condon report
Karachi,
May 24: Pakistan's cricket chief praised the work of the
International Cricket Council's (ICC's) Anti-corruption unit on
Thursday, one day after its interim report into match-fixing was
published.
"I
have no hesitation in describing Sir Paul Condon's work as excellent. It
is one of the most prestigious, valuable and well researched documents
ever prepared on the sport," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman
Tauqir Zia said from Lahore.
"It
is now mandatory for every board to assist Condon to root out corruption
from the sport. As far as we are concerned, we are prepared to extend
full support to Condon and his unit," he added.
Condon
is due to visit Pakistan from May 25-27 when he is expected to have
meetings with the PCB and possibly former captain Salim Malik, who was
banned from cricket for life last year following a probe into
match-fixing in Pakistan.
The
report said a conspiracy of silence has surrounded corruption in world
cricket and that match-fixing remained a problem.
The
report, sparked by the match-fixing scandal which erupted last year when
former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje admitted taking money from
bookmakers, did not name individuals.
But it
painted a disturbing picture of corruption and players under-performing
to order as betting on cricket mushroomed during the 1980s and 1990s
with the proliferation of televised one day internationals.
Zia
said the PCB had been following the recommendations of Justice Malik
Mohammad Qayyum, who conducted the inquiry into corruption in Pakistani
cricket.
"We
are already following the suggestions which could help us keep the
players away from such controversies. But we are more than willing to
learn more from this report to further strengthen our system," Zia
said.
Zia
reiterated his promise to conduct judicial investigations into
allegations of match-fixing during the 1999 World Cup in England.
"As
far as the World Cup allegations are concerned, Pakistan is committed to
carry out judicial investigations and a request has already been put up
to the government," he said.
In the
report, ICC anti-corruption chief Paul Condon said there had been
"persistent allegations" that the match between Pakistan and
Bangladesh at Nottingham was rigged by bookmakers.
Zia
said he was delighted that Pakistan's inquiry into match-fixing and
betting had been praised in the report.
"I
don't want to enter into the debate as to who should get the credit for
Condon's investigations. I am more interested and proud that Pakistan's
efforts have been praised," he said.
Pakistan,
who had two inquiries into match-fixing allegations, banned Malik and
fast bowler Ata-ur-Rehman last year and fined and censored Wasim Akram,
Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza.
"If
I am provided with rock solid evidence that more of my players are
involved in corruption, I promise they will be dealt with with an iron
hand," Zia said.
Imran
and Richards skeptical over report
Former
superstars Imran Khan and Barry Richards disagree over the effectiveness
of the Condon report on corruption in cricket.
Writing
in the Daily Telegraph on Thursday both former players
acknowledged that corruption was a scourge, but while Richards expressed
hope that new ICC chairman Malcolm Speed would be able to tackle the
problem, Khan said that many of the assertions made in the report were
more complex than indicated.
Khan
firstly disputed the hinted allegations made in the report that members
of the Pakistan team were still corrupt and trying to influence matches.
"I
dispute this, not because I think Pakistani cricketers have always been
innocent, but because I feel it is highly unlikely Pakistani players
would be involved in match-fixing after the scrutiny - both public and
judicial - they have faced in the past six years," wrote the former
allrounder.
He
went on to question the claim the offshore venues were high-risk venues
for match-fixing.
"Surely
any match that is televised internationally has the potential of being
fixed?" he asked. "The greatest amount of gambling takes place
in Bombay and the bookies conduct the entire business on the telephone.
So it hardly matters where the match is being played."
He
added that the recommendation to pay players more would also do little
to dissuade them from becoming involved in criminal activity, saying
that players crossed the line through greed.
Richards
expresses his reservations about the report, saying that it had created
too much bad publicity for the sport.
"Without
trivialising the issue, we are in danger of creating a monster that we
cannot control," wrote the legendary opening batsman. "We are
clutching at straws if we are going back as far as the Seventies, when
declarations were made in county cricket at the end of the season so
that teams could try to improve their position in the table.
"Enterprising
captaincy will be forever questioned should the result not go right
every time."
He
said that cricket was being "unfairly targeted", and that the
entire issue had become too emotionally loaded for constructive efforts
to be made to get to the heart of the problem.
The
two stars were in sharp disagreement about the role of the International
Cricket Council and national administrations in the matter.
"For
too long the International Cricket Council have not been given enough
power (some say they have refused to seek it) to change things but with
new chief executive Malcolm Speed picking up the cudgels next month, he
has an opportunity to show real leadership by inviting the players to be
represented at the highest level," said Richards.
However
Khan believes the ICC is providing only obstacles, and exercising double
standards.
"We
have watched their impotence over the years when it came to dealing with
issues like ball tampering, short-pitched bowling and neutral
umpires," he said. "But what I would have liked Condon's
report to expose is how the ICC obstructed the Pakistan Cricket Board's
match-fixing inquiry.
"While
Pakistan cricket was being devastated by the two-year-long Quyyum
Inquiry, David Richards, the ICC chief executive, sat on information
about the Australian Cricket Board's inquiry into Mark Waugh and Shane
Warne's involvement with bookies.
"Both
Richards and the Australian Cricket Board knew Warne and Waugh had given
evidence against Salim Malik to the Quyyum Inquiry, yet both withheld
information about the two Australian players" involvement with the
bookies.
He
said that Condon’s biggest challenge would be taking on cricket boards
who tended to protect their own players.
Today
Lord MacLaurin dismisses Alec Stewart's involvement with bookmaker MK
Gupta, just as Ali Bacher dismissed the Indian Central Bureau of
Investigation's statement implicating Cronje.
Richards
recommended that Condon be supported by a revamped and meaningful ICC
and a players’ voice at the highest level.
However
Khan was pessimistic about the process.
"I
am sceptical that anyone who has already been involved in match-fixing
will be caught," he said. "How can (Condon) deal with a crime
that is so difficult to nail? The report so far does not offer any
clues."
ICC
vows to protect cricket's future
London,
May 23:
The International Cricket Council, heavily criticised in its own
anti-corruption investigation, on Wednesday vowed to take steps to
eradicate match-fixing from the sport.
ICC
president Malcolm Gray said the 80-page anti-corruption report by former
Scotland Yard chief Paul Condon was being taken seriously and would be
taken up at the ICC annual general meeting next month.
"This
meeting will be a key moment in cricket's fight against match-fixing as
members from around the world reaffirm their commitment to a corruption
free future," Gray said.
"Our
aim is to make this process as transparent as possible. We want
followers of the game to have no doubt that we are treating this issue
with the utmost importance and taking steps to eradicate it.
"No
one should doubt our determination to achieve this aim. After the June
meeting the ICC will announce what action it intends to take."
Condon's
report said one-day cricket, the Indian betting industry and the
governing body's lack of leadership were among the reasons for
match-fixing and corruption in the sport.
In
Melbourne, Australian Cricket Board chairman Malcolm Speed welcomed the
report as "an important step in the ongoing fight against
corruption in cricket."
"I
think it is a valuable document in that it's the first time we've had an
independent source, an independent inquiry, and gone right through the
issue of corruption across the cricketing world," he said.
"It's
a fact-based analysis, I think that's very important. It's also very
important that what the document does is it provides a way
forward."
But
Speed urgently wanted Condon to complete an investigation over
allegations batsman Mark Waugh received money from an illegal bookmaker
at a tournament in Hong Kong in 1993.
Speed
takes over as ICC chief executive later this year. Former England
captain Ian Botham, who played first class cricket in the 1970s, 80s and
90s, said corruption would remain until individual countries tackled the
problem.
"Over
the last three decades there's been some strange results, but also once
these people get their fingers into you, there's no escaping," he
said.
"You
can't walk away and say, 'I've had enough of this, thank you very much
for the half million I've just made.' It doesn't work that way, so these
guys don't let go. So when these guys want a favour they expect it to be
done and there are severe consequences if you don't."
Lord
MacLaurin, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said anyone
found guilty of match-fixing should be banned for life. "You can't
suspend people for six or nine months," he said. "They come
back and the game has to do without them."
When
asked if he knew of any English players involved, he said: "I do
not know of any allegations against any England player. The only
situation we dealt with was with Alec Stewart. I spoke with him and he
denied being involved."
Stewart,
who has yet to be interviewed by Condon, said he would cooperate fully
with any investigation. Former England captain Mike Gatting also said
match fixers should be banned for life.
"When
people talk about pitch reports and weather conditions the lure is for
bigger things," he said. "I did not believe that Hansie Cronje
had been involved. I was taken aback frankly. But it did happen and it
is happening. It has to be stamped out."
Ray
Illingworth, England captain in the 1970s, when Condon said cricket
corruption began, said the names of match-fixers should be revealed.
"Unless
they name names, there's nothing that can be done about it," he
said. "At the end of the day, they're spending millions of dollars
on the inquiry but they have got no names to show for it."
Chris
Cowdrey, England captain in 1988, said the penalties for match fixing
should be explained.
"They've
got to clear it up," he said. "I don't think these reports do
appear to have made a lot of difference. Every time something does
happen, the authorities seem to so frightened of the lawyers, so
frightened of being sued for millions, they can't actually do anything
about it anyway."
Even
British Prime Minister Tony Blair was asked about the report.
"We'll have to study it very carefully," Blair said. "It
claims there are some fairly startling allegations made in it. We'll
have to look at it very carefully and see what implications there are
for government in due course."
Cricket
bodies welcome corruption probe
London,
May 23: The cricket world welcomed
the findings of a wide-ranging report into corruption in the sport
released Wednesday, urging that there be no let up in the war against
match-fixing.
The
International Cricket Council anti-corruption unit report warned cricket
still remained in the grip of match-fixers even after life bans were
imposed on three former captains - Hansie Cronje of South Africa,
Mohammad Azharuddin of India and Salim Malik of Pakistan.
All
three were banned after the sensational match-fixing scandal erupted
last year, which prompted the ICC inquiry.
The
35-page report, prepared by ACU chief Paul Condon, did not name any
cricketer involved in match-fixing but set out a list of recommendations
aimed at eradicating corruption.
Most
cricket bodies were unanimous in their support of the report's findings,
with South African Board organisers saying they hoped to have the
corruption scourge wiped out by the time of the 2003 World Cup.
"It
is most encouraging that (Sir) Paul Condon states that it is his
ambition and intention to have this problem under control and reduced to
the absolute minimum by the 2003 Cricket World Cup," World Cup 2003
chief Ali Bacher said in a statement.
"I
fully endorse the recommendations and the proposal that the ICC put all
of these into effect before 2003 in South Africa so that the paying
customer can be assured of the total integrity of everyone
involved," he added.
Australian
Cricket Board chief Malcolm Speed said the report was "an important
step in the ongoing fight against corruption in cricket," but
called on the ICC to resolve outstanding allegations against Mark Waugh
rapidly.
"I
think it is a valuable document in that it's the first time we've had an
independent source, an independent inquiry, and gone right through the
issue of corruption across the cricketing world," said Speed, who
takes over as ICC chief later this year.
But
an unsubstantiated claim by Indian bookie Mukesh Gupta that he paid
Waugh 20,000 US dollars for match information at a tournament in Hong
Kong in 1993 remains unresolved.
Waugh
denies the allegation. "Our position is it's very important we
resolve this issue one way or the other," said Speed.
"It
needs to be resolved either by Gupta giving evidence and being tested or
alternatively we need at some stage to be able to say 'That's the end of
the matter' so Mark can be exonerated.
"But
at this stage, if you read the report, we're not at that stage."
Most officials and former cricketers agreed life bans should be handed
out to players found guilty of match-rigging.
"I
think if people are proven to have taken money to fix games they should
be banned for life," former England skipper Mike Gatting said.
"A
lot of work has gone into this report and until we can find grounds for
doing something there is not a lot to do. It is sad the sport has been
dragged through the mire," he added.
Lord
MacLaurin, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), agreed
with Gatting.
"I
have said that my board at the ECB will take a strong view if any of our
players transgressed, he said after the release of Condon's findings.
"My
own view - and it might be thought to be strong - is that we would have
life bans. You can't suspend people for six or nine months. They come
back and the game has to do without them."
MacLaurin
called on all-Test playing countries to join forces to rid the game of
fraudulent activity.
"Administrators
have to be very strong and I would hope that all Test-playing nations
would have a collective desire to clear up anyone who has transgressed
in the past and is still playing," he said. "Clearly they
should not go on playing.
Former
Pakistani Test cricketer Haseeb Ahsan also welcomed the report and
demanded implementation of its recommendations.
"It
was long over due from the prime cricket body like ICC to investigate
match-fixing and now it must ensure its implementation in all the
cricket playing nations," said Ahsan who had served as chief
selector for PCB.
"All
those players should be dropped or barred from the team who have been
suspected in match-fixing and ICC must draw some parameters about such
players," he said.
But
former England captain Ray Illingworth was dismissive of the report,
saying it had no value until match-fixers had been identified.
"As
far as I'm concerned, until they start naming names it doesn't matter.
Until they name the people involved it's pointless saying
anything," said Illingworth.
"Unless
they name names there's nothing that can be done about it. At the end of
the day
Gray
admits ICC was slow in dealing with match-fixing
London,
May 23 : Stung by criticism by its
own Anti- Corruption Unit, the International Cricket Council today
admitted that it had been slow in dealing with match-fixing and should
have done more to eliminate the scourge.
"With
the benefit of hindsight... a compelling case is made that ICC and the
individual Cricket Boards could and should have done more to deal with
the problem of corruption at an earlier stage," ICC President
Malcolm Gray told BBC.
"ICC
and all the national Cricket Boards were slow to react. They didn't
realise how deep and wide this problem was," he said, adding that
they didn't act strongly enough, or robustly enough, or quickly enough.
The
report by ACU chief Sir Paul Condon, which was made public today, comes
down heavily on the role of ICC saying the world body in its present
state was a 'loose and fragile alliance' and 'unlikely to succeed as a
governing body'.
"It
(ICC) must become a modern, regulatory body with the power to lead and
direct international cricket," it said.
Indian
betting industry has powered and driven cricket corruption, according to
an official report on betting and match-fixing which has pledged its
support to CBI in carrying forward its investigations into links between
organised crime and match-fixing.
"The
Indian betting industry has been the engine room which has powered and
driven cricket corruption," a 36-page report by Sir Paul Condon,
head of International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit, posted on
the apex cricket body's website, says.
However,
match-fixing is a global phenomenon and "the blame for the spread
of cricket corruption is a shared responsibility and must not be
unfairly laid upon the Indian sub-continent," it says.
The
report outlines a six-point programme to deal with the problem in the
next twelve months which includes supporting the inquiries in different
countries arising from the CBI report to a conclusion and starting new
investigations allegations of corruption uncovered in recent months.
It
has also made a number of recommendations to control and reduce
corruption in cricket to "an absolute minimum" before the 2003
World Cup in South Africa.
Criminal
offences linked to the contract for TV rights and increasing instances
of drug abuse by cricketers have also been highlighted in the report
which laments that ICC in its present state is a "loose and fragile
alliance" and "unlikely to succeed as a governing body".
"It
(ICC) must become a modern, regulatory body with the power to lead and
direct international cricket," it says.
The
report says it will make a "disturbing reading" for cricket
lovers as corrupt practices and deliberate under- performance had
permeated all aspects of the game but hoped that its recommendations
will provide a credible deterrent to future defaulters as also their
detection and punishment.
Prominent
among the 24 recommendations are restrictions on the use of mobile
phones during international matches by players and others with insider
information, and the appointment of a full-time Security Manager in each
of the ICC member-countries.
Tournaments
at neutral venues have also come under attack by the report which says
matches at these places are more vulnerable to fixing and recommends
that extra vigilance and security would be required if such venues
continue to stage tournaments.
Corporate
governance of ICC and making its Chief Executive and Executive Board
accountable for their performance in combating malpractices are among
the other steps recommended by the report to eliminate corruption. It
also advocates better representation to players and their associations
in the administration of the game and a more consistent approach to
contracts for cricketers.
Welcoming
the recommendations which have already been endorsed by ICC's Code of
Conduct Commission headed by Lord Hugh Griffiths, ICC President Malcolm
Gray, to whom the report will now be forwarded, said the world body was
determined to protect the long term health of the sport.
"In
deciding to make these reports public our aim is to make this process as
transparent as possible. We want followers of the game to have no doubt
that ICC is treating this issue with utmost importance and taking real
steps to eradicate it," Gray said.
However,
despite exemplary punishments meted out to some of the biggest stars,
the report says "some players and others are still acting
dishonestly and to the orders of bookmakers". It singles out the
ICC knock-out tournament in Nairobi last year and the recent series
between Pakistan and New Zealand as being under cloud of suspicion.
Analysing
the possible reasons for the spread of corrupt practices in the game,
the report says lesser pay packets com- pared to some of the other
sports and uncertain playing caree- rs have made cricketers more prone
to match-fixing offers.
Reduced
stakes in terms of national pride as a result of the increase in the
number of matches, and lack of a framework to deal with corruption are
the other reasons cited by the report for the spread of the malice. It
also points to a 'conspiracy of silence' where players were unwilling to
provide information for fear of being ostracised by teammates. In some
cases people were threatened if they spoke and there have been
allegations of murder and kidnapping linked with cricket corruption.
The
report also dwells on the vulnerability of a match to fixing saying
'soft matches' or 'dead rubbers' like the last match of a series which
has already been won by a side are more prone to the dictates of
bookmakers.
It
says corruption in cricket has many manifestations because every single
aspect of a match can be is bet upon. Even seemingly innocuous things
like the players being placed in unfamiliar fielding positions, score of
individual batsmen as compared to their opposite numbers in the other
team and the end at which a particular umpire will stand are subjects of
bets.
There
are a number of cases where groundsmen have been bribed to interfere
with a pitch overnight to assist a team for betting purposes.
The
role of cricket administrators has also come under fire with the report
saying in some cases they were even party to the corrupt practices.
The
report traces the history of match-fixing to the 1970s when county teams
reached an arrangement on the result without any transaction of money
taking place. However, the problem magnified many times in the 1980s and
1990s with the increase in the number of matches and live television
coverage.
CBI
and Indian ministers during their interactions with the ACU team
acknowledged the growth of unlawful betting in India after the
resumption of international matches against Pakistan in 1978, it says.
Most
of the betting is illegal which makes it more difficult to deal with. In
countries where it is legal, the betting industry is more organised and
often subject to money laundering regulations, the report says.
The
report comes down heavily on ICC and the national Cricket Boards for not
doing enough and in some cases even encouraging the malpractices.
"ICC and the individual Cricket Boards could and should have done
more to deal with the problem of corruption at an earlier stage,"
it says.
When
they did respond, it was a patchwork of criminal, judicial, disciplinary
and informal measures. "No single inquiry had the jurisdiction to
investigate beyond its own country, players and officials. Nevertheless,
a disturbing picture gradually emerged of the extent of corruption and
opportunities were missed to share information and concerns," it
laments.
The
report however vows to fight out the evil and advocates that the
Anti-Corruption Unit should be rechristened as the Anti Corruption and
Security Unit and give more powers to the body.
The
world-wide investigations had given ACU very vital leads and there are
reasonable grounds for starting new probe against a number of
individuals against whom allegations are not yet in the public domain.
These new investigations relate to players, former international
players, umpires and other people linked to the game, the report says.
The
availability of Indian bookmaker M K Gupta, one of the key witnesses in
the CBI report, and his willingness to cooperate will be critical to
these investigations, it says.
ICC
to discuss match-fixing report next month
London,
May 23: The International Cricket
Council will debate the report by its anti-corruption unit next month,
ICC president Malcolm Gray of Australia said on Wednesday.
The
report, authored by former London Metropolitan police chief Paul Condon
and released on the ICC website on Wednesday morning, says match-fixing
was still rife in the sport.
Gray
said the report will be placed before the ICC's Executive Board at its
meeting here on June 18.
"This
meeting will be a key moment in cricket's fightback against
match-fixing, as members from around the world reaffirm their commitment
to a corruption-free future," an ICC release quoted Gray as saying.
"In
deciding to make public these reports our aim is to make this process as
transparent as possible.
"We
want followers of the game to have no doubt that we are treating this
issue with the utmost importance, and taking real steps to eradicate it.
"Until
the Executive Board has met and reached its decisions, it would be
premature and wrong of me to comment on the content and recommendations
of these reports.
"But
rest assured that the sole priority of the ICC is to protect the
long-term health of the sport. No one should doubt our determination to
achieve this aim," Gray said.
The
report was released only after it was read by the ICC's Code of Conduct
committee, led by Lord Hugh Griffiths of England and including former
Australian captain Richie Benaud.
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