Gamblers not welcome
ICC moves to control corruption in game with new powers
Posted: Monday January 11, 1999 02:39 PM
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Richards: "This is a very positive step forward." Laurence Griffiths/Allsport |
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) -- The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a code of conduct commission to ensure the game and its image are clean following a series of bribery and match-fixing allegations.
At a two-day meeting, the Board has unanimously agreed to set up a special commission to oversee inquiries into issues of match-fixing, bribery and betting on match outcomes, to guarantee "uniformity and consistency among all the member countries," ICC chief executive David Richards announced.
The historic meeting agreed to give the ICC further teeth to control the game, and to require each country to establish a judicial process "to give cricket restored dignity and harmony."
"We're looking for standard and stringent penalties in regard to any person found to be in breach of the regulations in regard to match-fixing or bribery or betting on the game of cricket," Richards said.
While there was work to be completed on the penalties, "any person found guilty of match-fixing can expect to be put out of the game for a very long period of time, if not forever," Richards said.
Under the plan, a three-member code of conduct commission will ensure each country follows uniform procedures by reviewing all corruption findings.
If necessary, the ICC's Conduct Commission can request further work by the country, set up its own inquiry into an issue over which it has concern, or ask a third country to investigate if it has been implicated.
Richards said it would deal with the issues quickly "and in an open and transparent fashion."
While it has still to determine at what point allegations of corrupt practices would be made public, Richards welcomed the decision of the Australian Cricket Board to publish the outcome of its present inquiry into bookie payments to top players Mark Waugh and Shane Warne.
He said the cricket boards of the nine full ICC members had been unanimous in granting the Council the jurisdiction to deal with serious disciplinary matters, like match-fixing, bribery and establishing a uniform drugs policy for the sport.
"This is a very positive step forward," Richards said.
Gambling on cricket, taking any form of inducement or match-fixing was "totally unacceptable to the game, totally unacceptable to the ICC and totally unacceptable to the countries of the ICC," he said.
The three Conduct Commission members have not been named but at least one will have legal background.
Australian Cricket Board chairman Denis Rogers hailed the establishment of the ICC code of conduct commission as "magnificent", adding it was a "tremendously important thing that has happened in the world of cricket."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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