Corrupters target the ones who know the captain: ICC ACU head Alex Marshall

International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) head, Alex Marshall, said that corrupters mostly target the ones, who are in close proximity to the captains. Back in 2018, he had said that captains were mostly targeted, but the corrupters have changed their approach as players, nowadays, are more aware about the dark world in cricket.

He said that the T20 cricket is the most preferred format for the corrupters, who try to manipulate proceedings throughout the game, barring the match result. Marshall was of the opinion that players directly reporting corrupt activities to the ICC is a reason behind bookies and others changing their approach.

Marshall put forth his opinions while speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of the T20 World Cup 2021 in the United Arab Emirates.

They corrupt someone who knows the captain well, says Alex Marshall

“Their ultimate target remains the same. Corrupters love captains, they like the opening batters and they like the opening bowlers,” Marshall said.

“They usually try to manipulate T20s; two overs, at the most four overs. It’s not the result. It’s not a no-ball. It’s not the toss. It’s elements in a phase of the game. Why they have changed their approach is because now people report straight to us.

“(So) they are trying to put in near that person an ex-player, team manager… So, you can see the shift, instead of trying to corrupt the captain, they corrupt someone who knows the captain well,” he stated.

Marshall said that T20 franchise leagues around the world are the most vulnerable and the corrupters try to cash in on the same.

“Vulnerability comes particularly in franchise tournaments, where there’s a lack of care about who the franchise owners are. Our experience over the last two years is that the most persistent corrupters will try and get a grip within a franchise,” Marshall added.

Recently, the Tamil Nadu Premier League and the Lanka Premier League faced charges of corruption. The developments in the LPL prompted the Sri Lanka government to criminalise match-fixing. In the TNPL, two co-owners were also expelled. Betting is prevalent around the world, but the unregulated Indian betting markets remain the source, more often than not.