Match-fixing: MCC World Cricket Committee call for ACSU head
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
The MCC's World Cricket Committee has called for the appointment of a new International Cricket Council supremo to lead the fight against match-fixing.
The panel recommends creating a permanent role at the head of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).
"A full-time appointment will go a long way to improve effectiveness across the globe to reduce corruption," the committee said in a statement.
Former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent was recently banned for match-fixing.
| What is the MCC's World Cricket Committee? |
|---|
| Panel of 14 former international cricketers and umpires which meets to discuss developments and issues in the game. |
| Funded and administered by the MCC, but an independent body with no official legislative powers. |
| Former England captains Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan and Mike Brearley sit on the current panel. |
| Rahul Dravid, Shaun Pollock, and Kumar Sangakkara are also on the committee. |
| England's Charlotte Edwards is the only woman on the panel. |
The committee, made up of former international cricketers, called for ICC member nations to work together to address match-fixing, including compiling a shared database of all illegal approaches reported by players.
The panel also ruled unanimously that running out the non-striker - as Sri Lanka did against England in the recent one-day international series - is not illegal and does not contravene the 'Spirit of Cricket'.
England captain Alastair Cook called spinner Sachithra Senanayake's run-out of Jos Buttler "a pretty poor act", but the committee defended the unusual mode of dismissal.
"If the non-striker is out of his ground earlier than allowed, then he can have no complaints should he be dismissed in this manner," the committee said.
Among the other recommendations made by the committee at their biannual meeting at Lord's were:
- Regulations on bat sizes should remain unchanged
- The ICC should continue to crack down on illegal bowling actions, following the recent banning of Senanayake
- The inequality of the tournament revenues paid to ICC member nations (with England, Australia and India set to receive a larger proportion from 2016) is a matter of concern
- The ICC should state its long-term vision for the good of the game, with the body's current Strategic Plan due to expire in 2015
The committee, which includes former England captains Andrew Strauss and Michael Vaughan, meets to discuss the prevalent issues in the game.
It is funded and administered by the MCC, but operates as an independent body.
| Players banned for match-fixing | |
|---|---|
| Lou Vincent (New Zealand and Sussex): banned for life in July this year | |
| Naved Arif (Pakistan A and Sussex): banned for life in June this year | |
| Mohammed Ashraful (Bangladesh): banned for eight years in June this year | |
| Danish Kaneria (Pakistan and Essex): banned for life in June 2012 | |
| Mervyn Westfield (Essex): banned, and jailed for four months, in 2012 | |
The committee's recommendations come as the ACSU is currently undergoing review by the ICC.
"The threat of corruption is constant in the game, particularly so in domestic televised cricket, and it is believed that approaches to players are still being attempted," the committee added.
"The appointment of a full-time leader will ensure that the ACSU is better positioned to communicate more effectively the work and successes of the unit."
Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and ex-Sussex seamer Naved Arif are among the other cricketers to have received bans for corruption this year.
