ICC to `question’ players, officials

London, October 18: All international cricket players, umpires and officials will be required to declare whether they have ever been invol...

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London, October 18: All international cricket players, umpires and officials will be required to declare whether they have ever been involved in match fixing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday.

The initiative was announced following a series of match-fixing scandals which have tarnished the image of the sport.

Players, umpires and officials will be asked to fill out confidential questionnaire by November 30.

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The form asks five questions, including whether they have ever taken part in or been asked to take part in “any arrangement with any other person involved in the playing or administration of the game of cricket which might involve corruption in any form.”

The questionnaire also asks whether they have taken part in, or been approached about the passing on of team selection, weather and details of the toss to any person other than to the media; performing below par, or perverting the normal outcome of a match.

Anyone answering yes to any of the five questions is obliged to provide full details to the head of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, Sir Paul Condon.

The form carries a declaration that a player or official will not be involved in the future in any corrupt conduct and will immediately inform the authorities of any approach.

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The declaration carries a warning that knowingly answering any of the five questions incorrectly leaves players and the others liable to disciplinary action, including “heavy penalties.”

The initiative was announced following a two-day meeting of ICC in Nairobi, Kenya.

The million dollar questions
1. Have you taken part in, or been approached to take part in, any arrangement with any other person involved in the playing or administration of the game of cricket which might involve corruption in any form?
2. Have you for personal reward or for some other person’s benefit agreed, or been approached, in advance of or during a match to act in deliberate breach of the Laws of Cricket, the ICC Standard Playing Conditions, the ICC Code of Conduct or contrary to the spirit of the game of cricket?
3. Have you for personal reward or for some other person’s benefit agreed, or been approached, to give information concerning the weather, the ground, team selection, the toss or the outcome of any match or any event in the course of a match or any event in the course of a match other than to a newspaper or broadcaster and disclosed in advance to your Board?
4. Have you ever for personal reward or for some other person’s benefit, deliberately played, or agreed to play or been approached to play, below your normal standard, or encouraged any other person to play below his normal standard, in order to contrive an event during the course of a match?
5. Have you for personal reward or for some other person’s benefit been involved, or approached, in an attempt to pervert the normal outcome of a match?