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ICC 'lacks power' to deal to match-fixing

The Christchurch Press
8 January 1999



The International Cricket Council has ``totally inadequate'' powers to deal with match-fixing and bribery allegations in the sport, says the Australian journalist who uncovered the Shane Warne-Mark Waugh bookmaking scandal.

But Malcolm Conn, senior cricket writer at the Australian newspaper, says that unless the ICC member countries do something -- starting with their executive meeting in Christchurch this weekend -- the sport is in ``very, very serious trouble''.

Conn says the match-fixing is a ``large problem'', concentrated on the sub-continent but which involves players from other countries as well.

``They (the ICC) have had four years to do something,'' Conn said yesterday.

``They have sat there and let the game burn and finally, finally are getting around to trying to do something.''

Conn revealed in his newspaper last month that Warne and Waugh accepted money from an Indian bookmaker to provide pitch and weather reports during the Australians' tour of Sri Lanka in 1994.

His report -- which sparked worldwide media attention -- also revealed that the Australian Cricket Board had fined the players, but had kept the matter secret.

The ICC had been told about the fines at the time, but was asked not to reveal anything.

The revelations come at a time of a judicial inquiry in Pakistan into match-fixing and bribery allegations.

Conn, who is travelling to Christchurch to cover the ICC meeting, said it was a matter of all nine test-playing nations agreeing to a review panel or tribunal having the power to fully investigate the matter.


Source: The Christchurch Press
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