Cricket World
Former Pakistani cricketer Mr. Imran Niazi Khan said on Monday at the Moin Khan Academy that the menace of match fixing must be looked into meticulously.
On being asked if he was aware of fixing of matches or if he had ever faced it during his days, Khan said “I have no clue whether it happens or not.” He explains that if it does exist then it’s very inconspicuous, thus making it difficult to prove its existence. He says, “If it happens it’s very hard to notice. People can only point it out but it’s very difficult to prove. Special measures are required to deal with the menace.”
The iconic cricketer also says that “The ICC should find new ways to control it. There should be a sort of check,” against this practice.
Accompanying him was another former Pakistani cricketer Rashid Latif, who in the past has been quite vociferous about the presence of match fixing in the game, said that “I have no doubt he has evidence but it all depends on how things go no. If [he] strikes a deal with Sri Lankan authorities then the matter will be brushed under the carpet as in other instances in the past.”
A few days back Kochi Tuskers Captain Mahela Jayawardene was not really convinced by what Hashan Tillakaratne had disclosed so far and thus asked the former cricketer to come out with the proofs.
Deccan Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkara said on Monday , in the post match conference after his teams’ match against Chennai Super Kings , that the comments made by Hashan Tillakaratne in a T.V. channel is quite interesting and is worth being looked into if the former Sri Lankan cricketer can support his claims with substantial proof.
He further warns that , “It’s dangerous to throw names around, and he should work very closely with the ACSU of the ICC and the home authorities to ensure that something’s done about it if there is any foundation to those claims but beyond that I don’t think it makes any big sense to the players playing now.”
The ICC ACSU (Anti Corruption and Security Unit) is a body of the ICC which seeded during the match fixing scam of 2000 which had hit World Cricket hard on the face. The body at the moment is chaired by one of UK’s most experienced former policeman, Sir Ronnie Flanagan and it is also considered to be an operational unit of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission.
The most important tasks of the body is to prevent and to deal with all cases of match fixing, as to also educate all the international players and officials about the penalties that exist against any one involved in this illegal practice. The ASCU also assigns “experienced law enforcement professionals” in every international match to ensure every step required to curb fixing of matches.
Thus it is quite evident that working along with the ASCU will be quite advisable for Hashan Tillakaratne if the former cricketer can really back his claims with proof and thereby do the positive image of the game some service.
Tags: ACSU, Cricket, Cricketers, Hashan Tillakaratne, ICC, Match Fixing, Players, Sri Lanka, World Cricket
