Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Anti-corruption unit
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Corruption in sport
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Cricket
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ECB
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ICC
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Lou Vincent
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Match-fixing
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Spot-fixing
Another day; another twist in cricket's match-fixing drama. Former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent has been formally charged with match-fixing by the England Cricket Board; Cricinfo reports:
The ECB has charged former Sussex players Lou Vincent and Naved Arif with alledged match-fixing in county cricket.Vincent is charged with 14 offences relating to two matches; a Twenty20 match between Sussex and Lancashire and a 40 over game between Sussex and Kent at Hove. Arif is charged with six offences in relation to the 40-over game between Sussex and Kent in August 2011.Sussex lost the CB40 game in question by 15 runs, with Arif conceding 41 runs in six overs without a wicket, and Vincent being run out for 1 off seven balls. The T20 match was a quarter-final, which Lancashire won by 20 runs. Vincent was caught behind first ball off Sajid Mahmood in the Sussex chase.The result cost them a semi-final spot. In November 2012, Sussex had confirmed that the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) had investigated the match.Both players have been provisionally suspended from all cricketing activities organised, authorised or supported by the ECB, ICC, any other national cricket federation and any member of any other national cricket federation.Chris Watts, head of ECB's Anti-Corruption unit, said: "This has been an extremely complex and lengthy investigation co-ordinated across many jurisdictions around the world. This matter is now the subject of formal legal proceedings and we will therefore make no further comment other than to reiterate our determination to bring to account the very small minority who seek to corrupt cricket."ECB chief executive David Collier added: "The ECB's ACCESS unit has worked tirelessly in conjunction with the ICC's ACSU to bring about these charges, which once again demonstrates the ECB's zero-tolerance approach to corruption in our great game."
The story goes on to detail what triggered the investigation:
The Daily Telegraph, which initially reported the story, said the Sussex-Kent match attracted bets totalling more than £12million on one legal gambling website alone, the highest total for any match of its kind in the past three years, which drew suspicions at the time but was cleared by the ICC's anti-corruption unit only for the case to be later reopened by the ECB.
It is interesting that this match was initially cleared by the ICC's anti-corruption unit, but that the ECB's ACCESS unit has found sufficient evidence to bring charges against Vincent and Naved Asif. It makes us wonder somewhat at the competence of the ACSU.
If these allegations against Vincent are proven, he will likely as not face a life ban from any involvement in cricket. Even if his testimony brings down some of those further up the match-fixing chain, it is a sad end to what could have been a very good career.
There is no place in cricket for those who succumb to the temptation of big bucks and corrupt the great sport.
