Officials at cricket’s world governing body have confirmed they are looking into a report handed to them by Australia chiefs regarding a betting allegation during the Ashes series.
Australia contacted the International Cricket Council (ICC) after one of their players was approached by a man suspected of links to illegal bookmaking.
The Cricinfo website reported on Tuesday the approach was made in the bar of the team’s London hotel following Australia’s Ashes loss at Lord’s in July.
Immediately, the player alerted senior officials and, following ICC protocol, team manager Steve Bernard filed a report with the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU).
The series is now all square at 1-1 ahead of the fifth Test, which starts at the Oval on Thursday. England must win to regain the Ashes, while Australia need only to avoid defeat to retain them.
An ICC spokesman said: ”I can confirm the ACSU has received a report from Australia team management.
”The anti-corruption and security unit of the ICC has developed and implemented a fairly comprehensive education programme for all international players and every single international player has undergone that education and is aware of his responsibilities to report any suspicious activity that he feels he may have been subject to.
”It seems in this case that education has hit home and we have received a report that the ACSU will now investigate.”
The ACSU, whose chairman Paul Condon is a former Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, was formed in 2000 in response to the match-fixing scandals involving then international captains Hansie Cronje, Salim Malik and Mohammad Azharrudin. — Sapa, AFP