Saw what happened in PSL, can't be complacent: ACU's Flanagan

The ICC's chief of Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) Sir Ronnie Flanagan today assured that there are "no specific intelligence" on intentions to corrupt the Champions Trophy

Ronnie Flanagan

The ICC's chief of Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) Sir Ronnie Flanagan today assured that there are "no specific intelligence" on intentions to corrupt the Champions Trophy but they can't be complacent after corrupt practices that came to fore during Pakistan Super League.

"No, we don't have specific intelligence at this stage of intentions to corrupt the tournament, but that doesn't give us any sense of complacency whatsoever. We saw just very recently in the Pakistan Super League in Dubai instances that we will be guarding against," ACU chief Flanagan told reporters today.

Flanagan said that nowadays there are other ways to corrupt the players without directly affecting the outcome of the game.

"The attempt to draw players in, try and convince them, look, you can do something that won't in any way affect the outcome of the game and it's easy money. All these are tactics that they use to try and draw players in, and then perhaps having drawn one in, use that player as some sort of channel to pollute the atmosphere with some other players," he said.

Flanagan said that they are trying to upgrade ICC's resources to tap the modern ways of communication like WhatsApp messaging services through which questionable characters try to get in touch with players.

"We are moving very quickly to a change in our code of conduct, whereby at present we in cricket have the ability to demand from players their billing records. We are moving to a point, even though legally, where players sign up to assist in our investigations," Flanagan said.

"So legally at present, we have the ability to requir etheir communication devices for us to download only in relation to any suspicious communications there may have been without in any way intruding in their privacy.

"But rather than just move to that step, we are consciously working very closely with the representative bodies who represent players to reassure them that we would not be interested in any private communications, but there may be communications that are very important to us through the likes of WhatsApp or other elements of the social media," said Flanagan.

"So we are constantly improving our ability in that regard to monitor contacts through social media, and in the monitoring of it, change our code of conduct with the full knowledge given to players and consultation of players to reassure them on those grounds of privacy that I have mentioned. So it's a very important element of our investigations," added Flanagan.

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