Media does one better than ICC in spotting 'fixing'

Dubai:  Yet another newspaper has come out with a spot-fixing revelation.

First, it was the News of the World tabloid and now The Sun newspaper which yesterday revealed the scoring pattern that would emerge during certain stages of the match between England and Pakistan at the Oval on September 17.

Only the other day, Haroon Lorgat, the ICC Chief Executive had stated that media should not conduct a trial on players and manufacture their own list of players under investigation.

In a surprising change of stance now, the ICC has acknowledged the finding of The Sun and gone on to thank them. "We thank The Sun newspaper for its information and cooperation in this regard and we will work with its staff and sources to ensure the full truth surrounding this match is ascertained," remarked Haroon Lorgat, CEO of ICC.

Zero tolerance

The ICC has, time and again, announced that it maintains a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. However, the recent incidents reveal that the newspapers are exposing the corruption in the game more than the Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

The ICC has candidly admitted that ACSU do not have the powers to do sting operations. It is now being proved that the News of the World wasn't wrong with Scotland Yard passing on to prosecutors an initial file of evidence on claims that Pakistan cricketers were involved in spot-fixing.

If The Sun's revelation is true, then scoring pattern cannot be determined without any agreement with the players of both the teams. Incidentally, Pakistan had won the match by 23 runs.

The ICC has accepted that the information given by the source to the newspaper "appears to be correct". Close interaction between media and ICC is a must under the present circumstances. The ACSU must reveal all approaches by bookies with players to media rather than leave it to newspapers to unearth like they did in the Dilhara Fernando incident.

The Sri Lanka cricket board had to finally accept that Fernando was quizzed way back in May 2009 by the ACSU investigators.

Local fixing

It would be a shame if spot-fixing has actually happened at the historic Lord's and Oval grounds.

Tarek Butt, one of UAE's leading umpires, has a pertinent question on this: "Sharjah cricket stadium was banned from staging matches over allegations of match-fixing despite no proof. Will Lord's and Oval be banned too if it is proved that spot fixing has happened in these venues?"