Involvement with IPL would be on anti-corruption side: ICC chief
23 March 2014 5:18 AM IST
‘Our office is in Dubai, so we have certain facilities which we will make available to BCCI if they need them.
Essentially though, our involvement would be on the anti-corruption side. ‘As we speak, I think the contract between the BCCI and the ICC ACSU is under negotiation. So it is a little bit premature to say if our services are actually going to be used but that’s probably very likely,’ Richardson said during a media interaction on Friday. Asked if BCCI pays for ICC’s ACSU unit maintenance, Richardson said, ‘Yes, they contribute to the costs.’
About his statement in the ICC media release, Richardson said that it was primarily because the tournament will be a big boost for the region. ‘I think the IPL coming to the UAE will do wonders for cricket in the region, in particular in Dubai. And the other point, we wanted to make from the media release was that rightly or wrongly, the region sometimes gets accused of having integrity issues.
‘And we wanted to assure everybody that in that respect certainly, we are keeping a very close eye on the tournament and making sure that it remains above board.’ Richardson also gave an elaborate explanation on how ICC is working to improve its Anti-Corruption surveillance process.‘I think the ICC Anti-Corruption unit has changed considerably over the last few years. Initially, it focussed on education and prevention and now it has become much more pro-active on the investigation side. We are in the process of really reviewing the resources of not only ACSU in Dubai but also the resources of other member units.’
‘No change in four-fielder rule till 2015 WC’
Mirpur: India captain MS Dhoni has often complained about the current ODI rule of having only four fielders outside the circle during the non-powerplay overs affecting the performance of his bowlers but the ICC is in no mood to tinker with any rules until the end of the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. ‘We’re not going to consider any changes prior to the World Cup. After the World Cup, the rules will be reviewed by the (ICC) Cricket Committee again. As I said, we wanted to create a more attacking 50-over game, one that could compete on the entertainment scales with T20 cricket,’ ICC CEO Dave Richardson said at a media interaction on Friday. Asked if the rule has been a kind of death-knell for the bowlers, Richardson, who has played 42 Tests and 122 ODIs for South Africa, said the best bowlers still made their way out. ‘It’s too early to say. I think it has led to a more attacking game from a bowling and fielding perspective. Yes, runs per over might have increased and bowlers, at times on flat wickets, find it very tough. But the best bowlers are still top of bowling rankings and best batsmen are on top of batting charts. We just might need to change our perceptions,’ Richardson explained.
Essentially though, our involvement would be on the anti-corruption side. ‘As we speak, I think the contract between the BCCI and the ICC ACSU is under negotiation. So it is a little bit premature to say if our services are actually going to be used but that’s probably very likely,’ Richardson said during a media interaction on Friday. Asked if BCCI pays for ICC’s ACSU unit maintenance, Richardson said, ‘Yes, they contribute to the costs.’
About his statement in the ICC media release, Richardson said that it was primarily because the tournament will be a big boost for the region. ‘I think the IPL coming to the UAE will do wonders for cricket in the region, in particular in Dubai. And the other point, we wanted to make from the media release was that rightly or wrongly, the region sometimes gets accused of having integrity issues.
‘And we wanted to assure everybody that in that respect certainly, we are keeping a very close eye on the tournament and making sure that it remains above board.’ Richardson also gave an elaborate explanation on how ICC is working to improve its Anti-Corruption surveillance process.‘I think the ICC Anti-Corruption unit has changed considerably over the last few years. Initially, it focussed on education and prevention and now it has become much more pro-active on the investigation side. We are in the process of really reviewing the resources of not only ACSU in Dubai but also the resources of other member units.’
‘No change in four-fielder rule till 2015 WC’
Mirpur: India captain MS Dhoni has often complained about the current ODI rule of having only four fielders outside the circle during the non-powerplay overs affecting the performance of his bowlers but the ICC is in no mood to tinker with any rules until the end of the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. ‘We’re not going to consider any changes prior to the World Cup. After the World Cup, the rules will be reviewed by the (ICC) Cricket Committee again. As I said, we wanted to create a more attacking 50-over game, one that could compete on the entertainment scales with T20 cricket,’ ICC CEO Dave Richardson said at a media interaction on Friday. Asked if the rule has been a kind of death-knell for the bowlers, Richardson, who has played 42 Tests and 122 ODIs for South Africa, said the best bowlers still made their way out. ‘It’s too early to say. I think it has led to a more attacking game from a bowling and fielding perspective. Yes, runs per over might have increased and bowlers, at times on flat wickets, find it very tough. But the best bowlers are still top of bowling rankings and best batsmen are on top of batting charts. We just might need to change our perceptions,’ Richardson explained.
Next Story
