Sir Ronnie Flanagan outlines cricket’s proactive approach to fighting corruption

Lahore: Keep Cricket Clean was the theme of the recently conducted workshop by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), which was also attended by the anti-corruption representatives of all the Test-playing Members.

In the workshop, the anti-corruption officers discussed at length the Integrity Working Party (IWP) recommendations, and expressed resolve and commitment to continue their fight to eradicating corruption through proactive, collective and aggressive prevention and disruption tactics.

The ICC Board, during the 2015 ICC Annual Conference in Barbados, had reviewed and adopted the recommendations of the IWP, which had been convened to review the global risks for international and domestic cricket created by the threat of corruption.

Following the productive workshop, the Chairman of the ACU, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, spoke with www.icc-cricket.com and reflected on the strengths of the game’s collective approach to fighting corruption and the key challenges facing the sport.

“The objective of our recent workshop was to bring together the anti‑corruption elements in all 10 major Test‑playing cricket nations, and working together with the ACU at the centre to examine the recommendations of the review report, to look at how we can best work together going forward to implement those recommendations, and to make sure that right across cricket,” said Sir Ronnie, a former Home Office Chief Inspector of Constabulary for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“I was very pleased that the recent review we had of the work of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit, placed great emphasis on the fact that the main planks of our activity are prevention, disruption, and only then investigation and prosecution, in that order of priority. And I think that order of priority is absolutely right.”

The 22-minute interview, which is available for free download and editorial use (details below), also includes Sir Ronnie’s views on:

·       ACU being a world leader in the fight against corruption in sport

.      The importance of education as a key component in prevention

·       ACU’s composition, experience and expertise, and its global partnerships

·       Corruptors in the sport

·       Can corruption be eradicated?

·       The ACU’s handling and examining of information and its media strategy

·       The return of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt