Full extent of fixing scandal is revealed

18 May 2014 - 02:03 By The Daily Telegraph
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The extent of cricket's global war against fixers can be revealed for the first time.

It includes details of attempts to corrupt test matches, one-day internationals and even club matches in England, with the problem permeating all levels of the game.

The Telegraph in London has seen confidential International Cricket Council (ICC) documents that reveal the desperate attempts by the anti-corruption unit (Acsu) to fight back against fixers preying on cricketers, and how honey traps and middlemen are used to lure players into criminal activity.

A report by the Acsu in January 2012 contains a rogue's gallery of bookies, fixers and chancers who attempted to contact players on tours to England, during the World Twenty20 in England in 2009 and the 2011 World Cup in India.

One player was offered $96000 to perform to order in a test series, while a player agent was offered £200000 to organise fixes during televised matches by an illegal Indian bookie called "VG" by detectives.

The Acsu monitored more than 100 individuals worldwide "actively involved in, or closely associated with, actual or planned corruption attempts".

In total the Acsu chased 281 lines of inquiry across the world, investigated 11 corrupt approaches to players or team officials, 124 suspicious actions, monitored the suspicious activities of 67 individuals, sifted through 74 pieces of technical data and worked through five other pieces of information related to fixing.

Players are warned about the use of honey traps to blackmail cricketers into fixing and the report carries photographs of a couple - "DP" and "NM" - who attempted to approach players at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, where many teams stayed during the World T20 in 2009.

"NM" is pictured in a bikini and "Acsu inquiries ascertained that NM was clearly using her charms - the honey trap - in an attempt to corrupt players."

She was observed again at the 2011 World Cup and she made a corrupt approach to a player, who reported it to the Acsu.

Two other bookies, "RA" and "RS", were identified at the World T20 in England where they attempted to befriend players in a team hotel and its casino.

"RA offered casino chips to players and to provide call girls and a safe hotel room."

The Acsu also helped to identify the bookie who corrupted Mervyn Westfield, and identified more than 300 texts and calls exchanged between cricket agent Mazhar Majeed, who was jailed for his role in the Pakistan fixing scandal of 2010, and his bookie contact in Mumbai.

This week, the ICC's review group met to overhaul the unit.

Insiders say the plan is to make the unit more effective and update its methods and working practices, with changes in personnel expected.

Flanagan is expected to exit when the board appoints a new lead detective.

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