Match Fixing News

ICC sets up commission to investigate match-fixing

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan 11  - The International Cricket Council
(ICC) will set up an independent commission to investigate allegations of  match-fixing and also establish uniform penalties for serious offences. At the end of a two-day meeting on Monday, ICC chief executive David Richards said the nine
test-playing countries had unanimously agreed to arm
the ICC with wide-ranging powers to deal with match-fixing, bribery and other serious matters such as drug-taking. "This meeting's been historic," Richards said. "It gives the ICC its teeth. Dignity and harmony "We're looking forward to bringing this process to a rapid end so that we can take cricket into the next century with restored dignity and harmony." In allowing the ICC to tackle the problem of match-fixing, each of the member
nations agreed to relinquish some of their sovereign powers over domestic cricket. Individual countries had previously been allowed to determine their own rules on player welfare and discipline, but will now be bound by uniform penalties established and enforced by the ICC. "It's an enormous step forward for our parent body to be given the power it's got,"
Australian Cricket Board chairman Denis Rogers said.                Tremendous will "But the best thing about it is that the countries were unanimous about it. There was a tremendous will from everyone to do the right thing." Richards said the commission would be made up of three people, independent of  the world's cricket boards, and would begin its investigation before the end of February with a brief to report back to the ICC by May 31.
The commission will be given authority to order any of the ICC's member nations to carry out an independent investigation into match fixing. Each country will also be required to set up their own judicial process for handling any cases. Anyone found guilty of an offence, will be subject to a uniform penalty code to be established by the ICC. "We haven't determined the penalties just yet but rest assured, 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. We are taking the matter that seriously," Richards said. If the commission is unhappy with any country's investigation, it will have the authority to conduct its own review of the case. It will also be given powers to punish any nation that does not comply with its procedures.
 
 
 

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