NEW DELHI: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, whose side beat India to lift the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy at Lord’s, is one of three international captains to have apparently reported approaches by fixers this year, according to two British dailies.
The Telegraph and Guardian newspapers both claimed on Tuesday that the ICC is investigating seven ‘live’ cases of attempts to fix international cricket games. Sarfraz is reported to have raised with the ICC’s anti-corruption unit an approach from a potential fixer before Pakistan’s ODI series with Sri Lanka in the UAE in October, while Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer notified of a suspicious approach before a Test match with West Indies in the same month.
Neither newspaper identified the third international captain.
According to these reports, amounts ranging from US$5,000 to $150,000 is believed to be on offer to cricketers. The Guardian added that Under-17 and Under-19 players are increasingly becoming the target of illegal bookmakers.
While the ICC has yet to comment, this news indicates that cricket’s governing body has its work cut out to try and eradicate illegal activity. Alex Marshall, the ICC ACU’s new general manager, is currently in Australia to meet with federal police in attempts to forge better avenues of communication where gathering information is concerned.