South African cricketers have been warned that they are targets for match fixers in the domestic game.
Cricket South Africa yesterday put out an alert to all cricketers that they were carrying out an investigation after learning that an international sydicate was attempting to target Ram Slam, One-Day Cup or the four-day matches. The CSA’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit is being assisted by the International Cricket Council and could involve the South African Police Services.
‘Our attitude to corruption will always be one of zero tolerance and we are confident that we have the necessary structures in place to effectively deal with any corrupt activity,’ said CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat. ‘We will relentlessly pursue any persons we believe to be involved in corrupting the game and, with assistance from the police, we will also seek criminal prosecution.’
Lorgat pointed out that CSA has the most up to date anti-corruption code which requires all players and support staff to report any approaches or any knowledge of corrupt activity.
‘This is a timely reminder that we can never drop our guard in protecting the integrity of the game at every level,’ he added. ‘We have an effective partnership with the South African Cricketers’ Association to ensure that all our players, support staff and administrators are well educated about the nefarious activities of corrupt people and are aware of the consequences of falling victim to any shady approaches.’
Cricket needs to be on high alert all the time since the advent of ‘spot-fixing’ in which great sums of money could be wagered on something as simple as a bowler overstepping, or getting out at a certain time.
The game in SA, though, has been relatively unscathed since the Hansie Cronje scandal in 2000, in which the former Proteas captain admitted match-fixing at international level.
