IPL 2019: BCCI to set up its own anti-corruption unit to handle menace

Following the increased cases of corruption and match-fixing, India’s apex cricket governing body, BCCI, has decided to take the matter wholly in its hands by setting its own anti-corruption unit (ACU) for the 12th edition of the cash-rich tournament that starts on March 23.

The Indian cricket board, in earlier editions of IPL, had shaken hands with International Cricket Council‘s ACU to look into the corruption in the tournament and paid cricket’s governing body hefty amounts for the job. However, ICC was not up to the mark in handling the menace as there were many cases of corruption noticed in previous editions of the mega event.

Thus, the BCCI has decided to look into the IPL proceedings on its own and hired three former police officers to strengthen the ACU ahead of IPL 2019. The three newly appointed ACU officials will undergo hands-on training during the Ranji Trophy semifinals and the series between England Lions and India A.

The BCCI will take over the anti-corruption job this year

“The BCCI will take over the anti-corruption job this year,” BCCI’s ACU chief Ajit Singh Shekhawat told Sportstar on Monday. “Till now, it was outsourced to the ICC and it would send its anti-corruption managers. This time, the BCCI will look after it.”

“Another two (also former police officers) have been recruited and they will join in February,” said Shekhawat, Rajasthan’s former director general of police. “We are training them, and also thinking about increasing the strength of those deployed (for) security duties, and sort of make them combine with the integrity and security functioning so that we have more eyes watching whatever is going on.”

When asked about at what level the officers have been appointed, the former DG said one is in the IG-DIG level and the other as SP- Additional SP level. ACU chief believes that the BCCI should look after every aspect of the game if it is organizing the tournament rather outsourcing it to some other cricket body’s ACU.

The former Rajasthan’s top cop stressed on holding meetings with the franchises, the players and the staff and make them aware of the protocol they need to follow and how they will be approached by the people for corruption. By this way, they all can be made aware of their duties pertaining to the anti-corruption code.

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