Sir Paul Condon, the former outstanding policeman now dedicated to fighting corruption in cricket, could not give an immediate answer whether Martin Crowe, the New Zealand captain, would be implicated in the investigations, but gave the long-term promise that most of the cricketing malpractice would be eliminated by the time of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

When Sir Paul gave a media briefing in Auckland today, after meeting his International Cricket Council masters in Melbourne, the first question, logically enough, was whether Crowe was implicated in a 1992 corruption case.

"I am not here to talk about individuals such as Martin Crowe, " said Sir Paul. "I have not talked to Crowe.

"In any case, Crowe comes under the scope of the inquiry appointed by New Zealand Cricket (a former judge Sir Ian Barker and a QC, Nick Davidson). They will handle the Crowe case and report to New Zealand Cricket."

Sir Paul was confident his Anti-Corruption Unit, formed by ICC following the allegations of match-fixing and bribe-taking against the former South African captain, Hansie Cronje, would have most of the corruption cleaned from the game by the end of the ACU three-year term in 2003.

The clean-up was demanded after Indian police investigations showed that Cronje had been involved with bookmakers aimed at fixing match results and other facets of the game, and that organised crime had become involved in cricket betting.

Curiously, Sir Paul's ACU squad was now prepared to ask Cronje if he could tell them how such contacts were made and what temptations could be put in the path of younger players.

This is part of the ACU plan to educate the younger players, and warn them of how bookmakers can contact and influence players. A special video is also being planned, containing some of Cronje's advice.

In the meantime Sir Paul is happy that the work of his squad is already producing results. Telephone calls to umpires and players and groundsmen, with the callers seeking match information, have largely stopped.

"So have the preliminary approaches to see whether players will weaken and take bribes."

Sir Paul said he felt that "match-fixing" was not the proper name for so much of the gambling and bribery.

"Rather I call it 'event'-fixing. It is now possible for anyone anywhere in the world with a mobile telephone and a live telecast of a cricket match to place a bet on some part of the game.

"The person may want to place a bet not on the result but on any of the numerous events in a game, the toss, the teams, what might happen three balls later, so a bet can be organised.

"These people want the information so it can give them the edge. When they make a bet knowing they have some inside information huge sums of money can become involved.

"And when large sums of money are involved, organised crime become involved."

Sir Paul's optimism that most of the corruption will be removed by 2003 - human nature being what it is he cannot predict the total eradication of malpractice - is based on the heavy investigations being done round the world by individual countries, and by his own special six-man team.

Besides Sir Paul there are three special investigators wise in the ways of world crime, a database manager with wide powers, and a security-support staff of two - who in turn protect the squad's own integrity.

Sir Paul, formerly head of London's Metropolitan Police and an eminent lawman, hand-picked his ACU squad.

"I persuaded them to leave their police work and join me. They are all experts and we form a very good team."

The ACU is backed by a fund of $US4 million.

Sir Paul issued comfort to the innocent, and no mercy for the offenders.

"Our job is to protect the good guys, and to show the cheats that they are taking one hell of a risk if they carry on with their schemes."

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