Ghost matches are not at all common

Interview/Steven Richardson, coordinator of investigations, Anti-Corruption Unit, ICC

What challenges have you faced during the pandemic? Most people would assume that no matches means no betting or fixing.

Actually, a number of lower-level competitions have taken place during this period. Being the only cricket being played, it did attract betting markets and that will always attract unwelcome elements. The ACU also received reports from players during lockdown, because corruptors will still seek opportunities to contact players on social media. So, it has been a busy period for our investigators and intelligence team.

How big a threat are ghost games, or made-up fixtures that bookmakers advertise to make money via betting? Has the ICC found any such cases?

This has certainly happened in soccer and we are always alert to it in cricket. But I am not aware of a specific match that was a ghost game, where no cricket took place.

Recently, a match in Mohali was being streamed as a Uva T20 league match happening in Sri Lanka. How big a threat do such cases pose?

We are aware of the allegations around the Uva match. These are always a risk because they erode confidence in cricket. Such events are put on by fraudsters and there can be a crossover with people who would corrupt regular cricket. So, we are very much alive to the possibility and will work with our colleagues to stop them as we did in this case.

Are ghost matches and fake games increasingly prevalent? Are they more challenging to spot than a regular match which has been fixed or data fraud?

Ghost matches are not at all common, so there is not really a comparison to be made. Data fraud or pitch siding is a low priority for the ICC. It has to be remembered that while betting is illegal in some countries, it is not so in many others. Betting itself is not corruption.

Recently, a team in the European T10 league was suspended for match-fixing. The league says it is working closely with the ICC. How difficult is it to ensure the hygiene of such a league?

All leagues have a responsibility to (put in place) anti-corruption and safety measures to protect participants and the event. With the right resourcing, skills and expertise, it is possible to give them a reasonable level of protection. But no system will provide guaranteed security against corruptors, and sometimes players make bad choices.

The ACU works with sports data and integrity firms. Is it true that their algorithms are less suitable for cricket than for other sports?

We work with a range of partners including betting companies and integrity units to protect the game. The lifeblood of our work is information from many sources and that gives us the intelligence that we need to protect players and keep corruptors away from the game.

Is it possible to indulge in data fraud in cricket and has that happened before?

Not sure what you mean by this. You may be referring to what happens in tennis, where the score in some tournaments is entered by the umpire. We do not have that system.

With no legislation in India to curb betting, and with a huge grey market, how will the ICC increase its scrutiny, considering that India will host two ICC events in the next three years?

We have a well-tried framework and detailed plans for how we work at tournaments to protect them. We work with law enforcement and our colleagues in the BCCI to ensure that we have a robust system to prevent and disrupt corruptors. Key to this is the information we give players to educate them on how they can recognise a corrupt approach, reject it and report it to anti-corruption officials. The lack of legislation is more of an issue for those outside cricket and do not fall under our rules. It would be useful if the police could take action, but with no legislation to criminalise match fixing, they are in a difficult position.

How do you see betting markets reacting to the return of cricket?

We would expect the markets to resume some normality in terms of where they are focused. For example, the CPL, the IPL and other more mainstream competitions as opposed to the lower levels. It is important to remember that betting is not corruption.

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