The International Cricket Council (ICC) is likely to have anti-corruption security agent(s) posted outside the players’ dressing rooms when Pakistan and the West Indies cricket teams take to the field in today’s Test match at the Providence Cricket Ground in Guyana.
During an interview yesterday on the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC)?programme HARDtalk hosted by Stephen Sackur, ICC chief executive officer Haroon Largat confirmed that the cricket governing body had instituted a policy of placing agents outside the dressing rooms at “every Test match”.
Largat said illegal gambling in the sport was a huge problem which the ICC would not get rid of completely. But he noted the ICC had put educational systems in place as well as “physical protection” around the players.
“What we can do is protect the sport and ensure we educate the players and in a sense protect the players and ensure the game is clean. What goes on the outside, whatever betting is being conducted outside, quite frankly is beyond our control and is not relevant to us. Our interest is where the players get involved. We can’t stop the public from doing as they wish or the illegal bookmakers from doing what they do,” Largat said.
Asked if he trusted the integrity of international cricketers, the ICC boss said he believed the “vast majority” of them were honest but noted everybody was “vulnerable”. He said some players were “naïve” especially when they first entered the game.
To a suggestion that if the ICC wanted to stamp out corruption it should dig deeper into the bank accounts and assets of players, Largat said there were human rights issues and legalities that would have to be considered.
Largat described as a “reasonably good idea” a suggestion that the ICC should undertake “sting operations” where players were approached about getting involved in illegal betting. However, he was quick to add that such a strategy would require the blessing of the players’ representatives. He said such a ploy had been considered but the Players’ Confederation had deemed it to be entrapment. However, he stressed it was something that had to be explored if they were serious about dealing with illegal gambling in cricket.