England players to meet ICC anti-corruption chief in Sri Lanka ahead of winter tour

Will Macpherson3 October 2018

England players are to receive an anti-corruption briefing from cricket bosses amid investigations over “serious allegations” in Sri Lanka.

Ahead of England’s limited-overs and Test matches on the island this autumn, Alex Marshall, the general manager of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, will meet both teams to explain more about the issues at hand.

Marshall is in Sri Lanka investigating historical corrupt practices that have nothing to do with England’s tour. The players arrived on Monday and their five-match one-day series starts next Wednesday, before three November Tests.

In a statement released by the ICC, Marshall said: “We are currently in Sri Lanka as part of our ongoing investigations into serious allegations of corruption in cricket in the country.

“The enquiries are continuing, so it would not be appropriate to comment further, but I can confirm that we have, at their request, provided a detailed briefing to the Sri Lankan President, Prime Minister and Sports Minister. We are receiving full support from the Competent Authority currently in place at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) whilst elections for the SLC Board are pending.

“I’d like to make it clear that these investigations have been under way for a considerable time and do not relate to the series about to start in Sri Lanka.

“However, I will take the opportunity to brief both the teams over the coming days to ensure they remain alert to the risks from would-be corruptors.”

Earlier this year, a documentary about cricket corruption conducted by television channel Al Jazeera made allegations that the pitch at Galle, the venue for the First Test against England from November 6-10, could be doctored. The SLC pledged to co-operate fully with anti-corruption officers.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia have appointed Kevin Roberts as their new chief executive — and he began his tenure by declaring the sport in Australia can “bounce back” after a year that has badly damaged its reputation.

Roberts replaces James Sutherland, who announced in June that he would be stepping down after 17 years in the role, and saw off competition from John Harnden, chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, and former Cricket New South Wales chairman John Warn.

Roberts was effectively Sutherland’s deputy, having been promoted to chief operating officer earlier this year. It was Roberts who led CA’s role in last year’s pay dispute with players and the Australian Cricketers’ Association.

The ACA ended up effectively winning that protracted battle but worse was to come for CA with the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa earlier this year and the subsequent bans for opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner. All remain barred from the international game.

Since, CA have conducted reports into the culture of cricket in Australia. Roberts said the sport had seen “some difficult times recently but we will bounce back”.

CA chairman David Peever said: “Given the complexity of the role and the increasing challenges facing our sport, the board concluded that an internal candidate with first-hand experience driving strategic transformation and engagement at CA would be best placed to help ensure continued success for Australian cricket.”

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