Can the ICC ever root out corruption in Cricket?

[MenInG]

I recall sitting close to the banner posted below -wondering if this sign actually had an effect on anyone - do you think they have or will succeed in rooting out corruption from this game?

 

[Runner Up]

ICC was so quick to deny that Mohali match was fixed lol.

Enough said.

 

[Pakistaniboy]

No, ICC need support from the countries cricket board and government to end corruption and that will never happen.....

 

[Itachi]

ICC is just a organization. Even a gov can't root out corruption even if it intends to. Its a human nature. And ICC has more limitation than gov....

 

[Robert]

Probably not, but they have to deter the cheats else sport stops being a proper contest and we might as well just watch soap opera instead.

 

[LegCutter]

Has evil been eliminated from Planet Earth?
Has crime been eliminated from even the most developed of countries?

If anyone thinks corruption can be removed from ANY sport, then they are fantasizing. Not in my lifetime, not in ANY lifetime.

 

[DOOSRA95]

ICC and BCCI ARE THE REAL CAUSE OF CORRUPTION1

 

[Chicharito14Hernandez]

Corruption will always exist IMO.

 

[munda_khi]

soccer, most probably, is the most followed sport in the world. can fifa root out corruption from it. is there any crimeless country in the world. when a govt with all the power in its hand cannot eliminate corruption then how can an international organization, which depends totally upon its members, can do that. lets say, if they make a rule, whoever caught in fixing will be banned for life. how pakistani fans feel about that, if will stop the way for the return of amir.

 

[Blitz]

Legalise gambling in India.


Given India's recent record of legalising absurd things (you all know what I'm talking about), you would think legalising gambling can't be that hard?

 

[Namak_Halaal]

Why is gambling illegal in India? Surely not due to religious reasons?

 

[LegCutter]

ICC and BCCI ARE THE REAL CAUSE OF CORRUPTION1

OKKKK!!!11

I think ICC should hire this guy, he clearly knows what he's talking about. Oh wait, he said the ICC are the cause of corruption, what do we do now :s

 

[leatherface58]

there was this movie named last boy scout in which the nfl team owner is shown to blackmail a senator for legalising gambling. VERY EERIE to current situation in terms of want to legalise gambling.
although i dont know about the blackmailing a minister part.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

has evil been eliminated from planet earth?
Has crime been eliminated from even the most developed of countries?

If anyone thinks corruption can be removed from any sport, then they are fantasizing. Not in my lifetime, not in any lifetime.

+1

 

[Random Aussie]

Ironically the solution to the small problem (cricket corruption) is to create a bigger problem (legalise gambling).

But legalisation of gambling has almost eliminated this type of cheating for profit from sports where it applies, because any suspicious transactions are immediately reported by legal bookmakers - who have a genuine interest in the integrity of a competition.

If a whole lot of money gets wagered on the 60-1 horse, you bet there is an enquiry. When gambling is illegal you dont know that the money has been bet on the 60-1 horse, therefore no evidence for an enquiry.

But I dont doubt that if gambling was legalised, it would pretty much end cricket corruption. However, that may not be desirable from the greater public policy perspective

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar banned for 8 years [post #15]

Three UAE players and a participant in cricket from Ajman have been charged with 13 counts of breaching cricket’s anti-corruption rules and the players have been provisionally suspended with immediate effect.


Mohammed Naveed has been charged with the following two breaches of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code:

Breach of Article 2.1.1 – contriving, or being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of matches in the upcoming ICC World T20 Qualifiers 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct in relation to the ICC World T20 Qualifiers 2019 that would amount to corrupt conduct under the Code.

Naveed has also been charged with a further two breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board Code for the T10 League. The ICC has been appointed by the ECB as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official for the purposes of the ECB’s Code at the T10 League (as it had in previous editions) and as such has issued the following two charges on the ECB’s behalf:

Breach of Article 2.1.1 – contriving, or being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of matches in the upcoming T10 League 2019

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to corrupt conduct under the Code.


Qadeer Ahmed Khan has been charged with six breaches of the ICC Code:

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to Corrupt Conduct under the Code in relation to the Zimbabwe v UAE series in April 2019.

Breach of Article 2.3.2 – disclosing Inside Information to Mehar Chhayakar in August 2019 in circumstances where he knew or should have known that the information might be used for betting purposes.

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to Corrupt Conduct under the Code in relation to the Netherlands v UAE series in August 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any facts or matters that came to his attention that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under the Code by another Participant.

Breach of Article 2.4.6 – failing or refusing to cooperate with an investigation being carried out by the ACU in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

Breach of Article 2.4.7 – obstructing or delaying an ACU investigation including by concealing information that may be relevant to that investigation.


Shaiman Anwar Butt has been charged with the following two breaches of the ICC Code:

Breach of Article 2.1.1 – contriving, or being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of matches in the upcoming ICC World T20 Qualifiers 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct in relation to the ICC World T20 Qualifiers 2019 that would amount to corrupt conduct under the Code.


Mehardeep Chhayakar who has participated in cricket in Ajman has been charged with the following breach of the ICC Code:

Breach of Article 2.4.6 – failing or refusing to cooperate with an investigation being carried out by the ACU in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

The players have 14 days from 16 October 2019 to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1453760

 

[MenInG]

Absolute disaster for UAE cricket in my view - especially since ICC is in Dubai!

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Wow, no wonder they were dropped from the sqaud.

 

[angrypathan]

Good to see Pakistani exports doing well

 

[Saj]

Sad state of affairs for UAE cricket.

They've pumped a lot of money into their cricket, yet some of their players have sold-out.

 

[sweep_shot]

This is really sad and outrageous. These players just threw away their dignities for a few bucks.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JUST IN: UAE have withdrawn Ashfaq Ahmed from their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> Qualifier squad. While no formal charges have been laid against the player, Ahmed been provisionally suspended by the Emirates Cricket Board board following ongoing investigations by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit. <a href="https://t.co/3lXTI9Nm24">pic.twitter.com/3lXTI9Nm24</a></p>— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/T20WorldCup/status/1186322508296925184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

News reports....


UAE wicketkeeper Ghulam Shabber went awol from the UAE squad in the midst of their T20 World Cup Qualifier campaign and is understood to have fled to Pakistan.

Shabber's absence was noted at a team meeting yesterday, Monday (October 21), ahead of the UAE's match against Hong Kong, prompting an investigation into his whereabouts.

 

[angrypathan]

Shambles

 

[MenInG]

United Arab Emirates (UAE) players Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar Butt have been found guilty of two offences each under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code following a hearing by an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

Naveed and Shaiman, who were charged under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for attempting to corrupt matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 in the UAE, have been found guilty on all charges after they exercised their right to a hearing before a Tribunal. The pair remain suspended and sanctions will follow in due course.

Naveed and Shaiman have been found guilty of:

Article 2.1.1 – for being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of a match or matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019.

Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019.

Naveed has also been found guilty of breaching the following two counts of the Emirates Cricket Board Anti-Corruption Code for Participants of the T10 League 2019:

Article 2.1.1 – for being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of a match or matches at the T10 League 2019.

Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code at the T10 League 2019.

 

[anakwalajinn]

That's so sad.
I used to like Shaiman Anwar and I think he even made a 100 in a World Cup game once back in 2015?

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Wait, from this thread it seems half that squad is up to no good.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Sad to see from Shaiman Anwar especially, he was a respected fellow.

 

[anakwalajinn]

Wait, from this thread it seems half that squad is up to no good.

And what's extra sad is that half that squad are Pakistani citizens...

 

[MenInG]

United Arab Emirates (UAE) players Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar Butt have been banned from all cricket for eight years each after the ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found them guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

The bans are backdated to 16 October 2019, when they were provisionally suspended for attempting to corrupt matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 in the UAE.

Following a full hearing and presentation of written and oral argument, the Tribunal found both Naveed and Shaiman guilty of:

Article 2.1.1 – for being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of a match or matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019.

Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019.

Naveed was also found guilty of breaching the following two counts of the Emirates Cricket Board Anti-Corruption Code for Participants of the T10 League 2019:

Article 2.1.1 – for being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of a match or matches at the T10 League 2019.

Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code at the T10 League 2019.

Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said: “Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar represented their adopted country, the UAE at the highest level in cricket.

“Naveed was the captain and leading wicket taker. Anwar was the opening bat. Both had long international careers and were well versed in the threat from match fixers. That they both chose to engage with this corrupt activity was a cynical betrayal of their positions, their teammates, and all supporters of UAE cricket.

“I am pleased that the independent Tribunal has imposed significant bans from all forms of cricket and this should serve as a warning to any cricketer who considers taking the wrong path.”

 

[ChTab]

Well, they should come back to Pakistan & we will give them chance in our National team after 2 years of their ban is served.

 

[Saj]

It seems the ICC has realised that 5 year bans given to some were a bit lenient perhaps?

 

[ChTab]

It seems the ICC has realised that 5 year bans given to some were a bit lenient perhaps?

Definitely, it should be 10 years, if that had happened Amir would not have made his comeback & Sharjeel probably haven't done what he had done.

 

[MenInG]

Mehardeep Chhayakar charged with six counts of breaching ICC Anti-Corruption Code

United Arab Emirates player Qadeer Ahmed Khan has been banned from all cricket for five years after admitting breaching six counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for which he was charged in October 2019.

Mr Khan admitted to being in breach of the following provisions under the Code:

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to Corrupt Conduct under the Code in relation to the Zimbabwe v UAE series in April 2019.

Breach of Article 2.3.2 – disclosing Inside Information in August 2019 in circumstances where he knew or should have known that the information might be used for betting purposes.

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to Corrupt Conduct under the Code in relation to the Netherlands v UAE series in August 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any facts or matters that came to his attention that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under the Code by another Participant.

Breach of Article 2.4.6 – failing or refusing to cooperate with an investigation being carried out by the ACU in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

Breach of Article 2.4.7 – obstructing or delaying an ACU investigation including by concealing information that may be relevant to that investigation.

Mr Khan’s period of ineligibility has been backdated to 16 October 2019, when he was provisionally suspended.

The decision on sanctions (which has been redacted to protect the identities of the ICC’s witnesses and other third parties) is available here.

Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said: “Qadeer Khan is an experienced international cricketer who has received anti-corruption training. He should have avoided the people he knew were corrupt and reported any suspicions immediately.

“He has accepted he did wrong and requested an agreed sanction in place of a Tribunal. His five-year period of ineligibility is a reflection of the seriousness of his breaches and the number of charges. He has accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed regret for those he has let down.”
Mehardeep Chhayakar charged with six counts of breaching ICC Anti-Corruption Code

Meanwhile, also in the UAE, the ICC has charged Mehardeep Chhayakar, who has played domestic cricket in Ajman (UAE) with six counts of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

The ICC laid the charges on its own behalf as well as on behalf of Cricket Canada as its Designated Anti-Corruption Official for the purposes of the Global T20 2019.

These charges are supplemental to charges of 16 October 2019, the media release for which is available here.
Breach of Article 2.1.1 – Attempting to contrive to fix aspects of the Zimbabwe v UAE series in April 2019, or being party to an effort to try and fix aspects of the Zimbabwe series.

Breach of Article 2.1.4 – Seeking to entice, induce and/or solicit a Participant to get involved in an effort to fix aspects of matches in the Zimbabwe v UAE series in April 2019.

Breach of Article 2.1.1 – Attempting to contrive to fix aspects of matches in the GT20 in 2019 or being party to an effort to try and fix aspects of matches in the GT20 event.

Breach of Article 2.1.4 – Seeking to entice, induce and/or solicit a to get involved in an effort to fix aspects of matches in the GT20 event.

Breach of Article 2.4.6 – Failing or refusing to cooperate with an ACU investigation, without compelling justification.

Breach of Article 2.4.7 – obstructing an ongoing ACU investigation through a failure to attend an interview or interviews with the ACU.
Mr Chhayakar has 14 days from 15 April 2021 to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage.

 

[OMB]

Corruption in cricket: ICC's Alex Marshall on Mr X, Bitcoin and fleeing suspects

The International Cricket Council set up the anti-corruption and security unit in 2000
From anti-corruption to anti-corruption.

Part of Alex Marshall's 37-year career in the police involved investigating corruption in the force. If you're immediately thinking of AC-12 and "catching bent coppers", then he's quick to point out that he has carefully avoided the BBC television show Line of Duty.

Now his brief is to fight corruption in world cricket. He's a busy man too - the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption unit which he leads has about 40 live investigations and six men have been sanctioned this year alone.

You can take a look through some of the ICC's decisions, which are made public, albeit often redacted.

Revealing details of Bitcoin changing hands, suspects fleeing the country and liberal use of terms like 'Mr X', they are crime fiction in real life.


Documentary 'lacked evidence' of England fixing claims

"Across the main cricket-playing nations, there are some where gambling is illegal, but that doesn't stop it from being incredibly popular," says Marshall, a former Hampshire chief constable.

"Therefore you end up with huge, unregulated markets.

"In the regulated markets, you could run an algorithm on the betting patterns around a particular event and you might see anomalies.

"In an unregulated market, there's no access to data. It's offline. It's through relationships in towns and villages. It's impossible to spot anomalies.

"Therefore, the starting point for investigations is usually the information and intelligence that comes into us from people within cricket and often the corruptors themselves."


ICC anti-corruption unit general manager Alex Marshall

The ICC judgements also detail how a fix is arranged. In some cases, it can be surprisingly mundane. United Arab Emirates pair Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar, for example, discussed their plans over a coffee on the beach.

However, the likelihood of a 'start-up' corruptor succeeding is remote. Sidling up to a cricketer in a hotel lobby and asking if they want to make a few quid is not the preferred method of most fixers. It is much more sophisticated than that.

"More often than not, many months of planning go into it," explains 59-year-old Marshall.

"We've had cases of franchise owners in lower-level tournaments who have deliberately moved in to that event and paid significant sums with the long-term intent of corrupting their own team or providing inside info to bookies.

"When a draft is coming up, it's not uncommon for us to get approaches to players saying 'if you are willing to do this thing for the owners, you will be picked'.

"A franchise owner could be working for bookies who have access to some pretty significant resources. Once people start handing over more than a million dollars to buy a franchise team, you're getting towards serious territory.

"What are they expecting to get back if they are willing to put that sort of money in?"

Probably the most famous example of cricket corruption seen in the UK was the plot of Pakistan's Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir to deliberately bowl no-balls in the 2010 Lord's Test against England.

However, that episode has given the false impression that fixes are often about singular, small events. Whereas Asif and Amir were purposely bowling no-balls, a deliberate no-ball is often the signal that the fix is in and will affect the action that follows.

"A fix tends to be about sessions of play," says Marshall. "Corruptors might approach opening batsmen or bowlers, and/or the captain, to try to influence a session of play.

"Not very often is it the whole match. Occasionally it has been, although that's quite rare. I can't think of an occasion where the corrupt act has been a single ball."

Naveed and Anwar, the pair from the beach, have been joined by UAE team-mate Qadeer Ahmed in receiving a ban this year. So too Sri Lankans Dilhara Lokuhettige and Nuwan Zoysa, and former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak - the latter a high-profile case given his standing in the game.

What links the six men is the lack of riches in their own country compared to the rest of the cricketing world - a vulnerability a would-be corruptor will look to exploit.

That search for vulnerability can also lead to other parts of the game.

"There have been women approached," says Marshall.

"So far the betting market on the women's game is relatively low. The reward for the corruptor is not great unless it's a very high-profile match.

"Under-19 cricket is more popular. There are betting markets and streams, so we have had younger players approached or asked for information."

If a player, coach or official falls foul of temptation, vulnerability or circumstance, they run the risk of being thrown out of the game.

There is a limit to the ICC's jurisdiction over corruptors who come from the outside, although that does not mean Marshall and his team are powerless.

"We'll report them to law enforcement if what they are doing could be a crime. We'll talk to border agencies to try to stop them from getting in and out of countries," he says.

"If there is someone in employment, we'll talk to their employers about what they are doing. If we can get publicity, we'll put their name in the public domain.

"We're hoping to publish the names of people who are excluded from cricket because they are corruptors. There's legal process to go through."

There is a danger that cricket lovers can become cynical about what they see, to think that something too incredible to be true is just that.

But, for all he knows about the darker side of the game, Marshall has not lost his trust.

"I'm a fan who has my eyes open," he says. "I trust the cricket I'm watching in virtually all cases. I also know there are corruptors watching the same cricket wondering where there is vulnerability and who they could approach.

"The threat will always be there, but we can disrupt these corruptors and make sure the people within the game are resistant to these approaches.

"You should believe in it. I do."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/57228211

 

[MenInG]

Not impressed the way ICC walked away from the Al Jazeera inquiry.

 

[Mamoon]

Maybe ICC can but PCB cannot. They will keep bringing fixers back into the fold.

 

[Hasan123]

Not impressed the way ICC walked away from the Al Jazeera inquiry.

Are you okay with Pakistan selecting convicted fixers?

 

[MenInG]

Are you okay with Pakistan selecting convicted fixers?

Like in all aspects of life - if you have served your punishment then it should be fine.

Question is - was the punishment right?

 

[CanadianG00se]

Like in all aspects of life - if you have served your punishment then it should be fine.

Question is - was the punishment right?

Serving sentence doesn’t mean a convict gets his job back. Will you be fine with re-hiring a guy in your bank who played a role in scam that tarnish your bank’s reputation?

 

[MenInG]

Serving sentence doesn’t mean a convict gets his job back. Will you be fine with re-hiring a guy in your bank who played a role in scam that tarnish your bank’s reputation?

I think we can leave that judgement call to PCB - the board did what it feels is best to make sure Pakistan wins. That is the only consideration they would have.

The main thing is that the ICC allows the player to play cricket again - that is the governing body.

 

[MenInG]

Communication set-up box, two laptops and two TVs were seized from the accused, say police

Officials from the City Task Force (CTF) and the PM Palem police busted a cricket betting racket and arrested four persons at Rushikonda here on Saturday night. The police have seized communication equipment from the accused.

The arrested were identified as K. Ravi Kumar (29) of Akkayyapalem, T. Dhanunjaya (34) of Sujatha Nagar, M. Sivaji (29) of Srikakulam and V. Rambabu (43) of MVP Colony.

The police have seized communication set-up box containing 29 mobile phones with SIM cards along with head sets, two laptops, two television sets, router and router connector.

According to the police officials, the main accused in the case Ch. Srinivas, alias cable Srinu, who is yet to be arrested, had employed four persons for organising the betting in the city.

Pakistan Cricket League matches

The gang has been reportedly organising bettings over the Pakistan Cricket League (PSL) T-20 league which commenced on June 9. Police said that the gang collected bets from the punters for the match between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi teams on Saturday night through online apps by using communication equipment.

“The gang had communication set-up box equipment, which had 30 mobile phones, to communicate with 30 persons at a time. The gang used an app to communicate ratings of the match. Moreover they also cheated the punters by announcing wrong ratings on the matches,” the police said.

Based on credible information, the police along with the CTF officials conducted a raid and arrested the accused.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...cket-busted-four-arrested/article34805843.ece

 

[Smbhayi]

Lol is there any system/organisations which is not corrupted..?

 

[MenInG]

Lahore, Jun 16 (PTI) Two men were arrested on Wednesday for their involvement in betting on Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches, Lahore police said.

"We have arrested two bookies involved in betting on PSL matches from Lahore''s Kot Lakhpat area," local police officer Qamar Ahmed said.

The bookies have been identified as Mirza Adil and Shakoor Baig.

Ahmed said that both suspects held betting on the PSL matches being played in the UAE. He said seven cell phones and the stake money have been recovered from them.

He said more arrests of the bookies are expected in the light of the information gleaned from the arrested suspects.

The sixth edition of PSL is underway in the UAE after it was postponed due to Covid-19 in February last. PTI

https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/2-arrested-in-pakistan-for-betting-on-psl-matches/2103285

 

[MenInG]

United Arab Emirates (UAE) players Amir Hayat and Ashfaq Ahmed have been banned from all cricket for eight years each after the ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found them guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

The bans are backdated to 13 September 2020, when they were provisionally suspended for corrupt conduct in relation to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 in the UAE.

Following a full hearing and presentation of written and oral argument, the Tribunal found both Amir and Ashfaq guilty of:

Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to: (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any International Match; or (b) ensure for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in an International Match.

Article 2.4.2 – failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit, (a) that the Participant knew or should have known was given to him/her to procure (directly or indirectly) any breach of the Anti-Corruption Code, or (b) that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.

Article 2.4.3 - failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) all gifts (whether monetary or otherwise), hospitality and/or other non-contractual benefits offered to a Participant that have a value of US$750 or more, whether or not the circumstances set out in Article 2.4.2 are present, save that there shall be no obligation to disclose any (i) personal gifts, hospitality and/or other non-contractual benefits offered by or on behalf of any close friend or relative of the Participant, (ii) any food or beverage gifts or (iii) cricket hospitality gifts in connection with Matches the Participant is participating in.

Article 2.4.4 - failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code.

Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any facts or matters that came to his attention that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under the Code by another Participant.

Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said: “Both Amir and Ashfaq had played cricket at the highest level for long enough to understand the threat from match fixers.

“The two UAE players, attended several ICC anti-corruption education sessions, and knew how to avoid becoming involved in any corrupt activity. They failed in these obligations and let down their teammates and everyone involved in UAE Cricket, in their adopted country.

“Their lengthy ban should serve as a warning to others.”

 

[MenInG]

Wicketkeeper-batter Gulam Shabbir of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been banned from all cricket for four years after admitting breaching six counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

Mr Gulam admitted to being in breach of the following provisions under the Code:

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of attempted approaches to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Nepal in January/February 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of approaches or invitations to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Zimbabwe in April 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of an approach received by a teammate to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Zimbabwe in April 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of facts and/or incidents that he was aware of which may have evidenced corrupt conduct by other Participants.

Breach of Article 2.4.6 – failing to cooperate with the ACU’s investigation by failing to surrender all his mobile devices upon request and failing to produce documentation requested by the ACU.

Breach of Article 2.4.7 – obstructing the ACU’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.

As a result of the admissions, he has accepted a sanction of a four-year period of ineligibility which ends at midnight on 20 August 2025.

Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said: “Shabbir played 40 matches for the UAE and was expected to understand his responsibilities as an international cricketer. He also attended at least three anti-corruption education sessions in which players were reminded of their obligations to report any approaches by corrupters.

“It was disappointing to note that he did not report any of the approaches. Although he was cooperative when interviewed and expressed remorse, it is only appropriate that he be banned so that a strong message goes out to other players and potential corrupters.”

 

[MenInG]

Rawalpindi: Security forces in Rawalpindi have arrested three bookies from Pindi Cricket Stadium during the ongoing National T20 Cup, ARY News reported.

They were arrested from one of the gates inside the stadium. They were transferred to New Town Police Station for further investigation. In total, eight bookies have been arrested so far during the competition.

Earlier, five bookies were arrested. During the police interrogation, the arrested bookies revealed that they had links with the Indian bookie mafia, which also had the support of bookies based in Dubai. Cases were registered against the arrested bookies after a preliminary investigation.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

ICC is an events management company. Their only mandate is to organize things as they are told.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Allegations of fake matches, murky finances plague cricket in France

Mithali Raj, the world's highest run-scoring female cricketer ever, spoke at an event on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower that was glittering with ambassadors, Indian film stars, models, cricketers and members of France Cricket – the sport’s official governing body in France.

The August 19 celebration marked the arrival of the Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy in Paris – on its global tour before the World Cup began on October 5 in Ahmedabad in western India – but was also an opportunity to shine a light on how far cricket has come in a country with no historic ties to the sport.

Raj told the crowd that she joined the trophy tour to meet the French women’s team. “[This event] reflects the growth of women's cricket and the evolution of women’s cricket from when it started to where it is now.”

But the glitz and glamour of the event may be masking an ugly reality. Players, clubs and recent members of France Cricket have accused it of mismanagement and fraud, including allegations that the organisation exaggerates its commitment to women’s cricket to access International Cricket Council (ICC) development funds, and conceals how it spends them.

Phantom matches

In a statement released by France Cricket in March 2022 titled “The Evolution of Women's Sport and Cricket in France”, the organisation said 25% of French cricket players are women and that 91 women's matches were to be organised that year.

But after interviewing people familiar with the workings of France Cricket, FRANCE 24 has ascertained that these figures are most likely significantly exaggerated.

Former France international cricketer Tracy Rodriguez, who has long tried to champion women’s cricket in the country, had always doubted that so many women’s matches were taking place, notably in the women’s second-division tournament, which comprises nine teams, all but one based within the Paris region.

After she was elected to the France Cricket Board in June 2021, Rodriguez said other members would laugh when she raised questions about women’s matches. Last year she decided to see if her suspicions were justified.

In her spare time, Rodriguez took a picnic to the cricket grounds where women’s games were scheduled and waited to see if anyone would turn up. No one did, she says. “Two or three times I [went] there, people were having picnics and kids cycling around at the time of the games. Then the day after I would see the results of the games online.”

Rodriguez quit her position on the France Cricket board in February this year.

To verify whether some of the matches are being faked, we attended scheduled fixtures. According to the France Cricket official fixture list, Sarcelles Cricket Ground north of Paris was meant to host the semi-final of the women’s second division between the Paris Knight Riders and Saint-Omer on September 2, at 2pm.

Instead of the scheduled women’s match, the men’s under-19 semi-final – which should have ended far earlier – was taking place. Once the game ended, around 3:30pm, both teams packed up and left. The women’s second division game apparently did not follow. Three days later, France Cricket rubber-stamped the match as having taken place and posted the results on their website.

When asked about the match, representatives of Paris Knight Riders and Saint-Omer contradicted one another. One, unaware of our presence, said the game did take place at the Sarcelles ground at 2pm as scheduled. The other said the game was moved on short notice to another ground in Chantilly, 25 kilometres north of Sarcelles.

After making these calls, we received a phone call from a spokesperson at France Cricket, telling us not to contact the clubs directly.

We also attended the scheduled final of the women’s second division on September 16 between the Paris Knight Riders and Balbyniens Cricket Club 93 at Dreux, west of Paris. Again, the game seemingly did not take place and again, three days later, France Cricket validated the result.

We could not find a single photo of a women’s second-division team on the social media of any of the clubs involved. Balbyniens, who regularly post pictures of their male team and who, according to France Cricket, won the women’s second division, have not posted anything about their apparent victory.

There are France Cricket directors at two of the clubs involved in this supposed final. Prethevechand Thiyagarajan, France Cricket’s treasurer, is registered as a player for Balbyniens. His assistant treasurer, Asif Zahir, is registered as a player for Dreux, which was meant to host and umpire the match.

Our information indicates each man has a senior leadership role at their respective clubs. Neither responded to an email asking why the matches did not take place as scheduled.

‘We don’t have a choice’

In the records of France Cricket board meetings, there are repeated mentions of an “ICC scorecard”, which is how the International Cricket Council evaluates how much development funding to allocate its associate member countries. According to a 2021 ICC presentation on the state of cricket in France, the ICC provides 60-70% of France Cricket’s total budget, roughly $320,000 out of a total of $520,000 for the year 2022. Almost half of these ICC funds are meant to support women's and juniors’ cricket.

According to the minutes of a board meeting on January 10, 2020, France Cricket decided on an annual budget that was “largely inspired” by ICC requirements. “The Board is also aware that ICC subsidies are now closely linked to France's performance on a number of indicators,” the document reads. “The risk of being downgraded (or overtaken by another better-performing country) is quite simply the loss of USD 100,000 from one year to the next.”

The minutes then reveal the direction France Cricket intended to take. Under a section titled “Scorecard and 2020 implications”, it reads: “The data will influence the next ICC Scorecard, hence the importance of figures … Development should focus on recruiting juniors and women.”

Throughout subsequent meeting notes and in a 2021-2024 strategy presentation France Cricket sent to the ICC, the association outlined various development initiatives it intended to undertake. The latter document, seen by FRANCE 24, contains a raft of measures that sound impressive on paper, such as “bi-monthly regional training camps”, “girls’ school competitions”, and the launching of new leagues.

Instead, France Cricket built a system that obliges top-performing clubs to create their own women's and junior teams and begin filing results, or else face fines or relegation.

James Worstead, coach of men’s fourth-division team Vipères de Valenciennes, occasionally organises bilateral women’s games with first-division teams despite not having a women’s team within the France Cricket system.

He says France Cricket has created a system that links the fortunes of the men’s teams to the creation of female and junior teams – if a side cannot field a women’s team, it cannot compete in the top men’s leagues. Because assembling a women’s team is difficult, clubs sometimes just invent results, says Worstead.

“Most clubs cheat, they pretend to have a women’s team. They pay for licences and then they fake score sheets online … We have refused to fake matches and that means that even if we qualify we’re likely to never be able to get a promotion.”

Irma Vrignaud, another former French international player and a current France Cricket board member, has tried repeatedly to enquire about women’s teams. In a France Cricket meeting in August, for instance, she says she asked whether there were any scorecards or photos to prove the matches took place, and received no clear answers.

Vrignaud says honest clubs get punished, whereas there are strong incentives for clubs to post fake results.

“The clubs that have fake women's teams don't get fined. But the clubs that have real women's teams and that really say when the match is cancelled – because it's the reality, because we struggle to find a squad, because we struggle to find a ground – when we [tell] the truth, we get fined because we didn't do the match.”

According to France Cricket's own guidelines, the fine for not showing up or forfeiting a fixture is €200. In case of repeat offences, the fine rises to €300. Not turning up to a semi-final or a final leaves your club with a penalty of €1000 – all significant sums for these amateur clubs.

In 2021, the year France Cricket began mandating clubs have women’s and junior teams, the organisation declared €20,210 in income from fines on its annual tax invoice – a ten-fold rise from 2019. During the 2022 season, when evidence of phantom matches started emerging, the income from fines dropped back down to €5,248.

A manager from one of France’s top-performing clubs, who denied the existence of fake matches, expressed his interest in developing a women’s team but says he “finds it difficult to find female players”.

“We are obliged to have a women’s team. We don’t have a choice,” he says, adding that he has resorted to encouraging his mother-in-law, his mother and his sister-in-law to play to make up numbers.

This situation isn’t necessarily de rigueur at every club which is close to France Cricket. The Lycée Français de Pondichéry Cricket Club à Morangis, for instance, has demonstrated a real commitment to promoting interest in cricket among French children, even partnering with the national agency for sports in schools, the UNSS.

France Cricket has not responded to multiple requests for comment on these allegations. The association has not been the subject of any legal proceedings to date.

Opaque finances

Former France Cricket CEO Marjorie Guillaume, who wrote the press release on the “Evolution of Women's Sport and Cricket in France”, says she wrote it in the early stages of her tenure at France Cricket, before she knew what was really going on.

Guillaume says she took the position after France Cricket was pressured by the ICC to get a CEO, and that she believed she could help reform the organisation. “There was pressure by the ICC for numbers, which is why they wanted to show the ICC they were making moves to make changes, but I did not know that it was just mise en scène [stagecraft]. There was no real commitment.”

Guillaume’s most serious complaints are related to the opaque way the organisation runs its finances. At first, Guillaume started to notice that there was “a lot of incoherence” with the way France Cricket discussed its budget. “We got to a point where they were very uncomfortable with me because I was asking too many questions.”

Later, in a meeting with the ICC in Birmingham, France Cricket stipulated that Guillaume was not to be involved in the budget for 2022. “I said, how can I be a CEO of an organisation and you're not letting me see where the money is going?”

Guillaume describes a situation where France Cricket appeared to be spending “hundreds of thousands of euros” on cricket equipment and locking it up in the basement of the France Cricket headquarters. “I was never allowed to go downstairs in the basement to see the equipment,” she says.

FRANCE 24 was not able to independently verify these claims.

After Guillaume’s tumultuous year with France Cricket, she went to the ICC to complain about the organisation. She is one of at least five people FRANCE 24 spoke to who have gone to the ICC about the mismanagement of cricket in the country.

Andrew Wright, in charge of European development at the ICC, said it “wouldn’t be right” to comment on the specific allegations mentioned in this article. But he said the ICC has “a process to make sure the levels of cricket activity that take place within a country are proofed, and checks and balances are in place”.

The French sports ministry didn't respond to a request for comment. But they may want to take notice soon. Cricket is set to become an Olympic sport for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, which means it will receive "high level" status in France, making the national governing body eligible to apply for much more public money.

Women’s World Cup qualifiers

Despite concerns about the management of women’s cricket in France, the national team has produced some good results.

On 2 June, they exceeded expectations by beating Germany to make it into the European World Cup Qualifiers in Spain this September. They struggled to assemble a full squad for that competition and lost every match.

To play in the women’s World Cup Qualifiers, the ICC demands nations have at least eight domestic women’s teams “competing in a minimum of five hard-ball matches for the previous two years”. We could only verify the existence of four teams that fulfil this criteria.

Asked about this, the ICC responded in an email saying, “France’s entry into the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers was determined by domestic activities that took place in 2021 and 2022 and pre-Covid,” adding: “Members are also obliged to confirm to us that the information they provide to us is true and accurate.”

Lost potential

Five of the squad who played in the European World Cup Qualifiers in Spain honed their skills at Nantes Cricket Club, one of many clubs outside the Paris region that say they receive little to no support from France Cricket.

Club president Sabine Lieury worries that, with no effort being made to develop grassroots cricket, the sport will fail to get off the ground. “We don’t get any funding from France Cricket. They don’t help us when we go to the authorities to ask for money,” she says. “This association should be working to help clubs, but I don’t think that’s the case.”

Pradeep Chalise set up Aunis Cricket Club near La Rochelle in the west of France in 2017. In his quest to set up a cricket academy for children, Chalise went looking for funding for a practice cricket net. The town hall’s response was encouraging, and they told Chalise to reach out to France Cricket to see if it could also contribute.

He did so in March 2021, and in an email nine months later, France Cricket told Chalise they would loan – not donate – 25% of the cost of the practice nets to Aunis Cricket Club. “It's a very small club and there's no way we could pay €4,000 back to France Cricket,” says Chalise. “So, I talked to the president and I explained to them why it was very important to have the practice nets but they simply did not care.”

Despite not using their development budget – €100,000 that year – to help the club, Chalise says France Cricket used images of the academy’s children in a strategy presentation to the ICC to demonstrate they were committed to junior development.

This experience soured Chalise’s perception of France Cricket. Today, he continues running the club and the academy outside the framework of France Cricket, working to grow the sport without official support, just like several other cricket clubs around France.

It’s a real shame, says Chalise. “What I can tell you after having run Aunis CC for the last six or seven years is that French people are interested in cricket.”
​

Allegations of fake matches, murky finances plague cricket in France

Players, clubs, and recent members of France Cricket – the sport’s official governing body in France – accuse the organisation of lying to access International Cricket Council funds and concealing how…

www.france24.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Rizwan Javed banned from all cricket for breach of ICC Anti-Corruption Code

Rizwan Javed, a UK-based club cricketer, has been banned from all cricket for 17 ½ years.

Rizwan is among eight players and officials charged by the ICC on behalf of the ECB (in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the Code) in September last year.

Among those named was Bangladesh international Nasir Hossain as well, who is serving a two-year ban.

Rizwan was found guilty of five breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code for Participants, related to the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League.

Rizwan failed to respond to the charges and was therefore deemed guilty of the offence and waived his right to a hearing.

Rizwan was found guilty of:

Article 2.1.1 – Being party to an attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly matches or aspects of matches in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021 (on three separate occasions).

Article 2.1.3 – Offering a Reward to another Participant in exchange for that player engaging in Corrupt Conduct.

Article 2.1.4 – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1 (on three separate occasions).

Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the DACO full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

Article 2.4.6 – Failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the DACO in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

The sanction backdates Rizwan’s ban to 19 September 2023, when was provisionally suspended for the said offences.

"Rizwan Javed has received a lengthy ban from cricket for his repeated and serious attempts to corrupt professional cricketers," ICC General Manager Integrity, Alex Marshall said.

"The sanction imposed should send a strong message to other corrupters trying to target cricket at any level and demonstrates that any attempt to corrupt cricket will be strongly dealt with."

ICC

 

[BouncerGuy]

BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla's Close Aide Accused Of Taking ₹10 Lakh Bribe From UP Cricketer For Indian Team Selection; FIR Lodged

The close of Board of Control for Cricket for India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla's close aide, Akram Saifi, has been accused of cheating a Uttar Pradesh cricketer in the name of selecting him for the Indian Cricket Team.

The case has been registered against Akram Saifi and two others by Uttar Pradesh police for cheating and defrauding a UP cricketer for falsely promising him his selection into Team India. As per the report, the accused allegedly took the bride of INR 10 lakh on the pretext of the player's place in the India squad.

However, Uttar Pradesh player was threatened by one of the three accused when he demanded the refund of the money when he didn't fulfill his promise of the cricketer's selection for the national team.

A case registered against Akram Saifi, a close aide of BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla, two others over charges of cheating and fraud in the name of selection of a UP player in the India cricket team. The accsued allegedly took Rs 10 lakh in the name of selection. The deal didn't come

The case against Akram Saifi and two others have been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation).

As per the First Investigation Report (FIR), Uttar Pradesh Cricket, Satya Pradesh Yadav alleged that he has performed well in trails of UP Cricket Association but couldn't selected for the state team. During this team, Satya met Anurag who said that he connection with Akram Saifi, who is the chief of Saharanpur Cricket Association.

According to the allegation by Gorakhpur cricketer, he paid 8 lakh in cash and 2.45 lakh online to Anurag. When asked for refund of the money after failing to get him into the Indian team, Anurag and Akram Saifi threatened to kill.

Who is Akram Saifi?

Akram Saifi is reported to be the close of aide of BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla. As per his Linkedin profile, it is mentioned that the accused that he is the 'Executive Assitant to IPL chairman.'

Saifi has played a vital role in bringing the talents from the Uttar Pradesh's district of Sahranpur to the state team. He was the only player from the to have represented UP in the domestic cricket. Since then, many players from the district began to play for the state team.

Akram Saifi was a member of Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council and a personal staff of then chairman Rajeev Shukla.

Akram accused in 'sex-for-selection' sting

Akram Saifi's first expose came to the light in 2018 after a Hindi news channel did a sting operation through a phone call between Rajeev Shukla's close aide and UP cricketer Rahul Sharma, wherein he was asking 'cash and kind' favour to ensure his place in Rahul's place in the state team.

The sting operation grabbed the headlines, resulting in strong reaction from Rajeev Shukla and former UP cricketers Mohammed Kaif and RP Singh, who demanded detailed investigation into the sting operation from BCCI.

Due to the sting operation, Saifi was forced to step down from the BCCI after he was suspended by the board for seeking bribes from the players in order to facilitate their selection into the Uttar Pradesh state team.

SOURCE: https://www.freepressjournal.in/spo...selecting-him-for-indian-team-case-registered

 

[shaz619]

How can they when they give BCCI handouts from Pakistani games in ICC tournies

 

[BouncerGuy]

BCCI has more power than ICC atm and to root out corruption you have to stay neutral.