Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Anti-corruption unit
,
Chris Cairns
,
Cricket
,
Daryl Tuffey
,
ICC
,
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
,
Lew Vincent
,
Match-fixing
,
Murray McCully
Match-fixing is a blight on sport, and especially on cricket, the gentlemen's game. So we are delighted to see the Government about to take some meaningful action; the Herald reports:
Match-fixing will become a crime in New Zealand.
Sport and Recreation Minister Murray McCully announced yesterday that an amendment would be made to the Crimes Act to ensure serious forms of match-fixing would be subject to criminal sanctions.
"New Zealand is not immune to the international risks of match-fixing and we are taking pre-emptive steps to protect our well-deserved reputation for playing fair and the integrity of New Zealand sport," Mr McCully said.
"We have released the New Zealand Policy on Sports Match-Fixing and Related Corruption and announced plans to amend the Crimes Act 1961 to ensure the most serious form of match-fixing is a criminal offence.
"The national match-fixing policy provides a comprehensive framework for collaboration across Government, the sport sector and the betting industry to address match-fixing risks to New Zealand sport," he said.
"An important component of the policy is ensuring we have a strong legal framework around match-fixing, and ensuring it is subject to criminal sanctions."
With the ICC World Cup due to be held in New Zealand early in 2015, this is a significant move by Murray McCully. It sends a message to the international community that match-fixing will not be tolerated in New Zealand, and that there will be criminal sanctions as well as those dished out by the sport in question.
Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle is a fan. He has sent out this tweet to his 1.2 million followers:
Sadly, much of the illegal activity in cricket has its origins in the India subcontinent.But sportsmen from throughout the world have fallen into the clutches of the bookies and their dodgy mates. Even right now, former New Zealand representatives Lew Vincent, Daryl Tuffey and Chris Cairns are being investigated by the ICC's anti-corruption unit over allegations of involvement in match-fixing.
Cricket is our first and most enduring sporting love, and watching the game descend into corruption is deeply saddening. We commend the Government for this initiative, which is a very welcome move.
