Cricket Controversies: Sri-Lankan cricketers also approached by bookies?
The menace of match fixing and the alleged influence of bookies have not spared other teams besides http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755. Sri Lankan team players were also approached by the illegal bookies more than once over the last year. The news was revealed by source close to Srilankan team. The source, however, denied involvement of any specific player in the issue. According to the source, team members immediately informed the management about suspicious characters trying to interact with them. The Sri-Lankan team management immediately reported the matter to the ACSU.
The anti-corruption unit formulated an investigation team headed by Alan Peacock, senior investigator ACSU. Alan Peacock recorded statements from the players, who had complained about the issue. The incident with Sri Lankan team players occurred in 2009, during the Twenty20 world cup in England. The bookies and their links made several attempts to convince different team members of Sri-Lanka for fixing matches. Team players were offered huge amount in return for a favourable response.
As a human it is very difficult to resist the temptation of money. Strength in character and highest level of integrity is required to drive away corrupt instincts. Whether or not, Srilankan players maintained their integrity and loyalty to nation is evident by their immediate report of the issue to ICC’s ACSU. The immediate information by the team members, and then further actions by the Sri-Lankan team management depict scrupulous and responsible behaviour by the management.
The conspiracy was, hence, successfully foiled by the Sri- Lankan team and the management. The event was even confirmed by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nishantha-Ranatunga-c79713, the SLC secretary. He confirmed that proper report was formulated by the Sri-Lankan team management including clear narration of all the happenings. The report was formally handed over to ACSU by Sri-Lankan manager Brendon Kuruppu.
The luring of players by suspicious characters involved in corrupt practices has now become a known phenomenon. With the recent controversy against Pakistani players, who failed to resist temptations of money, it appears that the network of bookies is widespread and requires a comprehensive strategy to deal with this menace.
It is pertinent to mention that bookies did not stop their attempts to lure Sri- Lankan players even after they remained unsuccessful in their initial attempts. Sri-Lankan team members were continuously approached by the bookies even after players refused to support their malaise agenda.
ICC was kept in continuous loop of information by the Sri- Lankan team management. ICC and SLC still possess all the details of approaches the bookies made towards their players. A source from Sri- Lankan team termed the year particularly difficult in terms of protecting the team from any negative motivation and maintaining the integrity of Sri- Lankan team.
The source further expressed that transparency mechanism in the system ensured that whenever Sri-Lanka played, it kept the integrity of the sport at highest priority. Similarly he stressed about appropriate environment in the Sri- Lankan team for highlighting any doubt or suspicious activities.
The proactive approach taken by Sri-Lankan management during encounter of its players with the bookies deserves appreciation and credit. The same stance and mutual unity in the Pakistani cricket board would have saved the sports from degradation and ill-image. However, the reports about bookies trying to lure Sri-Lankan players have emerged in the media after a while. The experiences between the boards must be shared in order to know the gravity of the menace.
The networks of illegal bookmakers have gained considerable strength over a period of time. They search for vulnerabilities in cricket teams, and teams from developing nations are their specific target. In order to counter the emerging threat of corruption in the cricket sports, ICC needs to revise its code of conduct. Similarly cricket boards must devise coherent strategy to improve internal communication between team players and the management. It was just the excellent internal communication mechanism that saved the Sri-Lankan team from any embarrassment in 2009, and bookies failed miserably to lure any of their players.
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