ICC anti-corruption chief Alex Marshall warns of corruption threat from 'badly run T20 leagues'

The departing head of the ICC (International Cricket Council) anti-corruption unit, Alex Marshall, has assured the general public that the cricket they watch is corruption free. However, he warned that those who want to corrupt the game usually make their entry through local T20 leagues not governed by the ICC but its member nations. He also opined that the corruptors will keep looking for a way inside as long as there is money to be made.

"I am confident that the cricket you watch is safe and clean. But I am also absolutely sure that corruptors are constantly looking for a route into the game, particularly in badly-run lower-level franchise leagues. The threat to the game is corruptors won't go away while there is always money to be made and they will look for weakness in the system to get in,” Marshall was quoted as saying by the Times of India. 

He also talked about how happy he Is with the ever-increasing number of players willing to report corruption, which in turn helps the global body maintain the integrity of the sport.

"I am proud of the significant increase in trust from players who now report approaches to us frequently whereas there was a time when they lacked confidence in confidentiality and the action that will be taken," he said. "They have now seen corruptors being disrupted, named, banned when they get involved in cricket. And the education we now do with players shows them who the corruptors are, what their methods are, so everyone is much better equipped and protected to keep corruption away from the game."

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It is worth noting that Marshall served the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit for seven years, and oversaw many significant moments. Under his leadership, the organisation ensured that veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan faced severe consequences after he failed to report a corrupt approach from an Indian bookie. Furthermore, one of Marshall’s biggest achievements with the ACU was the successful eradication of corruption from Sri Lanka cricket. 

"Sri Lanka turned out to be a good news story because there were serious issues which were addressed locally and with ICC. Now with the legislation and stronger measures Sri Lanka is in a much better place to keep the corruptors away,” Marshall said.