Thaindian News

London/Melbourne, Nov 16 (IANS) In the wake of three Pakistani cricketers being convicted of spot-fixing, both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Australia (CA) have set-up anti-corruption watchdogs to prevent players from being involved in illegal betting.

Both the boards took the decision after Pakistan’s Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were jailed after being found being guilty of spot-fixing during a Test match against England at Lord’s last year.

CA formed an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to oversee and maintain the integrity of country’s domestic cricket competitions while PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, has been given the credit for forming the vigilance body which has been established on the lines of the anti-corruption unit formed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

“We are going to keep a very strict eye and bring in very strict discipline so that my players, wherever they are, don’t get in touch with people who try to drag them into such negative business,” the Telegraph quoted Ashraf as saying.

“We want to discourage that, we want to eliminate that. We have to be a respectable board, we have to work with the English Cricket Board, with the rest of the world and we have to move forward.”

CA CEO James Sutherland stressed on the importance of introducing laws requiring betting agencies to enter into integrity agreements with those sports on which they offer odds, which would assist efforts to ensure the integrity of Australian sport.

Sutherland also reaffirmed his support for state and federal government moves to introduce sport-specific anti-corruption laws that could see match fixers sent to jail.

Sutherland said the establishment of the ASCU will protect the integrity of the game.

“Betting related corruption is a significant issue to sport in general and Cricket Australia is determined to institute measures that safeguard the integrity of our sport,” Sutherland said in a statement released by CA.

“There has been no evidence of problems in domestic cricket but we want to move proactively on the basis that vigilance and constant education is critical.

“The Unit will give our domestic cricket bodies a specialised resource to call on to protect our sport from instances of corruption and underscores our dedication to stamping out illegal activity.

“The creation of CA’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit complements the strong work being done in this area by state and federal governments and the Coalition of Major Participation and Professional Sports.

ACSU will preside over the Bupa Sheffield Shield, Ryobi Cup and the newly-formed KFC T20 Big Bash League.

Te ACSU will administer the educational program for all players involved in domestic competitions and provide education sessions for staff in CA’s betting and anti-corruption policies.

CA’s security manager Sean Carroll will head the unit, working closely with state cricket associations and the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ASCU, of which he was previously a member.