MCC world committee backs ECB
Committee chairman Mike Brearley said: “I am in no doubt that corruption is the biggest danger facing the game of cricket today."
The MCC world cricket committee has urged national cricket boards to follow the example set by the ECB in offering a short-term amnesty to players or administrators who know of potential illegal activity in cricket.
The ECB last month announced a window until April 30 for players and officials to report approaches or information related to corruption.
The MCC world cricket committee today submitted its anti-corruption report to the ICC for consideration.
The report supports the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU) in its work to minimise corruption in cricket, and makes recommendations that the world cricket committee believes would contribute to that effort.
The committee, comprising past and present international cricketers and chaired by former England captain Mike Brearley, met in Cape Town in early January and published an interim set of anti-corruption proposals.
Following the meeting, and subsequent worldwide developments surrounding corruption, the committee has published its full report.
Brearley said: “I am in no doubt that corruption is the biggest danger facing the game of cricket today.
"The publication of our report today shows, I believe, MCC’s unqualified support to all cricketing bodies that are determined to rid the sport of this stain.
“Following our recent meeting in Cape Town, and subsequent discussions within our group, I think the committee recognises that corruption will be defeated or kept to an absolute minimum only if the problem is owned by the players, and they feel that they are on the same side as the ACSU.
Steve Waugh, who led the MCC world cricket committee’s anti-corruption working party, is "particularly pleased to see the ECB’s stance."
"It is crucial that the two groups are as open and co-operative with each other as possible.”
Former Australia skipper Steve Waugh led the MCC world cricket committee’s anti-corruption working party, set up in December 2010, and had been instrumental in helping to produce the committee’s report.
He said: “Cricket’s administrators need to be bold in their actions and cannot be complacent in the fight against corruption.
"I have for some time advocated the idea of amnesties for players or officials so am particularly pleased to see the ECB’s stance on this issue.
"I now hope that the ICC take on board what our committee - and what players around the world - are saying and we can stamp out corruption in the sport.”
The MCC world cricket committee recommendations are as follows:
• Lifetime bans for any captain, vice-captain or coach found guilty of corruption.
• The removal of minimum sentences in the ICC’s anti-corruption code.
• Education materials and punishments at international level should be mirrored at domestic level. These materials should be enhanced, multi-lingual and presented in an engaging manner using different media.
• The ACSU should work closely with players to establish trust, and be transparent with its findings to show the cricketing world that its efforts to prevent corruption are working.
• Young, but established, international players, and their captains, should be promoted as ambassadors of the Spirit of Cricket and role models who pledge to educate and protect other young players.
• National cricket boards should follow the example of the ECB in offering a short-term amnesty to any player or other person involved in cricket who, within the designated period, reports an approach or other suspicions or knowledge of illegal activity of a corrupt kind.
• Where not already in place, specific anti-corruption clauses should be included in players’, officials’, coaches’ and administrators’ contracts.
• Polygraphs should be voluntary and could be used as a method for players under suspicion to exonerate themselves.
• ‘Mystery shopper’ operations should be considered, so long as they are directed at somebody already under suspicion and there is no entrapment.
• Relevant authorities should explore any unexplained wealth of suspected players and each governing body should hold a gift register for its players.
• The ACSU should have increased resources to be able to conduct more thorough investigations and analyse all domestic and international televised matches.
