2003 World Cup will be corruption-free: Condon

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I sure hope he means what he says. It takes the fun outta watching the game. I remember staying up all night to watch the 1999 final only to see Pak lose miserably. I was extremely disappointed and didnt watch cricket for a while. Im not trying to blame anyone but you know what I mean.

LONDON: The 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa will be free of corruption and match-fixing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday.

Speaking at the inaugural ICC Cricket Business Forum at Lords, Paul Condon, director of the ICC’s anti corruption unit said: "Preparations for the 2003 World Cup are going very well.

"We have a list of up to 100 people who will be excluded from the country if they try and travel and their names will be submitted to the South African authorities.

“Anybody hoping to travel to South Africa with the intentions of illegal betting or match-fixing should think of something else to do.”

Condon, who was appointed director of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit in June 2000, said he believed “hand on heart” that there had been no corruption or bribery in world cricket for 12 months, although he said there was no room for complacency.

Condon’s report on corruption in 2001, that looked at match-fixing and illegal betting in the aftermath of the Hansie Cronje scandal, had recommended the establishment of the anti-corruption unit.

Former South Africa captain Cronje, who was killed in a plane crash on June 1, was banned for life after admitting accepting money from bookmakers to influence the outcome of matches.

“It could happen again,” Condon said.

"The infrastructure is in place for unlawful gambling with up to $150 million being bet on most one-day internationals.

"But in terms of match-fixing, seedy deals and corruption, the work we have put in has suppressed that. That’s the first time we can say that for 20 years.

“Despite all the strides we have made, however, there will still be doubters and those who think it still occurs. Unfortunately that is a curse world cricket has brought upon itself and will have to live with.”

ICC president Malcolm Gray said the introduction of full-time security officers assigned to each of the test-playing countries had been a major weapon in the fight against corruption in the sport, although he cautioned against believing the job was done.

“No longer are we struggling to contain this despicable practice,” he said. “We are no longer just reacting to events, every team has an effective system to keep corruption and cheats out of the game. But if we take our eye off the ball they will return.”

source: http://www.icricketer.com/news/jun28/news1.shtml

**“define QUESTION ((bb) | | !(bb))” — *Shakespeare ***

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Talking of Corruption, Here is another update :-
http://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2002/JUN/023 429_BLOOMBERG_28JUN2002.html

Former match-fixers still play top cricket - Condon
Bloomberg - 28 June 2002

Cricketers who have tried to fix matches are still playing at international level, according to Lord Condon, director of the sport’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

“My view is that there is a small number of players who, in an ideal world, would not be playing now - it’s fingers on one hand we’re talking about,” Condon said at an International Cricket Council forum at Lord’s. There isn’t enough hard evidence to stop them playing, he said.

The unit was set up in September 2000 after the then South Africa captain Hansie Cronje, who died in a plane crash this month, admitted involvement in match-rigging. He was one of three former Test captains to receive a life ban. India’s Mohammad Azharuddin and Pakistan’s Saleem Malik are the others.

As well as the ACU’s investigations, which cost $4 million, there have been 13 corruption enquiries in nine countries since 1998. In total, nine cricketers have received bans since 2000.

Despite Condon’s warning that match-fixers are still playing the game, he’s confident they are no longer involved in malpractice.

“Players who may have been tempted in the past have not done so in the last year or more,” said Condon. “I’m confident from our network of information that if players were reckless enough to come back into this, we would be aware of it.”

He declined to identify the persons involved, partly for legal reasons.

AK

[This message has been edited by ehsan (edited June 28, 2002).]

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There is Stewart, Lara, the Waughs, Warne and many more who have shady records too.

Plus you know what the really sad thing is? Whenever you fix a match you can't do so without getting the co-operation of other senior players.

[This message has been edited by ehsan (edited June 28, 2002).]

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I think all this Condon investigations are a sham. When it comes to Stewart or Mark Waugh or Warne they are just slapped on the wrists because they were only giving "weather and the state of the pitch reports". What a load of rubbish. Why should anyone pay for such reports. When Artherton tempers with the ball by rubbing the dirt from his pocket, it is only a mistake. But any player from Indian sub continent is immedaitly labelled cheat.

I am not defending any of them be it Wasim or Kapil and they should get what they deserve if the case can be proved. My point is that if you are from Australia or England you can't be guilty according to these people. Condon after all was accused of racism when he was the police chief. Maybe there is some truth in it.

[This message has been edited by ehsan (edited June 28, 2002).]

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[quote]
Originally posted by ehsan:
*I am not defending any of them be it Wasim or Kapil and they should get what they deserve if the case can be proved. My point is that if you are from Australia or England you can't be guilty according to these people. Condon after all was accused of racism when he was the police chief. Maybe there is some truth in it.
*
[/quote]

Precisely Ehsan! Our Inzi has to go and answer why he misjudged a slower ball from Caddick and was bowled. But the Waughs can gift their wickets away and still be honest. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, this incident is from a match in Sharjah about which there was speculation that both teams (Aus and Pak) were trying to lose it. And I think if there is one thing people respect about Rashid then it is his integrity. He said some time ago in the midst of the whole fixing **** that he was surprised at the ease with he stumped both Waugh brothers.

So, there is a lot of garbage that still hasn't come out.

[This message has been edited by ehsan (edited June 28, 2002).]

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[quote]
Originally posted by ehsan:
**I think all this Condon investigations are a sham. When it comes to Stewart or Mark Waugh or Warne they are just slapped on the wrists because they were only giving "weather and the state of the pitch reports". What a load of rubbish. Why should anyone pay for such reports. When Artherton tempers with the ball by rubbing the dirt from his pocket, it is only a mistake. But any player from Indian sub continent is immedaitly labelled cheat.

I am not defending any of them be it Wasim or Kapil and they should get what they deserve if the case can be proved. My point is that if you are from Australia or England you can't be guilty according to these people. Condon after all was accused of racism when he was the police chief. Maybe there is some truth in it.
**
[/quote]

Exactly, I still remember how South Africans (infact the whole World) reacted after Cronje was named first time. Their radio talk shows were full of hate mesgs towards Indians, they even denied the Voice of Cronje and said it was not his voice. After Cronje accepted that he was indeed involved in the match fixing - Those same people came with another crap of How good a christian he was and blah blah blah. Gibbs another main accused is still playing while Jadeja and Ata-ur-Rehman are banned. Nikhil Chopra is not considered just because some bookie made a call to his mobile where as Alec Stewart (I guess he was touring Pakistan at that time) was cleared over the phone by some IDIOT LORD.

AK

[This message has been edited by ehsan (edited June 28, 2002).]