ICC to review anti-corruption safeguards

Cricket365
May 9, 2014

Chief executive David Richardson has countered suggestion that the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption and security unit is proving ineffective.

According to a statement released on Friday, the games' governing body will soon conduct an internal interview into its safeguards against spot- and match-fixing.

"The ICC ACSU remains a world leader in the fight against corruption in sport, and has done some outstanding work since its inception in 2000," said Richardson. "The suggestion that the ACSU might be failing in its duty to protect the game is entirely misplaced and inaccurate.

"With the cricket landscape and the risk of corruption changing rapidly in recent years due to the increasing number of domestic Twenty20 cricket leagues, as well as the incorporation of domestic anti-corruption units by a number of member boards, the ICC board considered it to be an appropriate time to carry out a review into the overall structure established to fight against the threat of corruption at all levels of the sport.

"However, it is important to emphasise that the review is only commencing – and therefore to draw any conclusions on the outcome of the review will be premature and detrimental to the working of such an important unit. We are committed to putting in place the very best structures and personnel to protect the game, and there is nothing unusual about the commission of an internal review."

Meanwhile, former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has lost a longstanding appeal to have a life ban overturned.

The England and Wales Cricket Board had charged Kaneria with coercing team-mate Mervyn Westfield to "deliberately concede" runs during Essex's limited-overs fixture against Durham in 2009.

A disciplinary panel found that charges had been proved after a hearing in 2012. An appeal, established under the ECB's disciplinary regulations, upheld the decision to impose a life ban in 2013.

Kaneria later challenged the suspension, claiming the appeal panel were incorrect in upholding the life ban – and wrong to order him to pay the ECB legal costs of Ã‚Â£200,000.

London High Court judge Nicholas Hamblen, however, dismissed Kaneria's assertion this week. The 33-year-old Kaneria, who played 61 Tests and 18 ODis between December 2000 and August 2010, was not at Tuesday's hearing.