IPL Player Reports Corrupt Approach And ACU Launches Investigations

In the UEA, a cricketer competing in the Indian Premium League 2020 “reported a corrupt approach,” which has put the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit (ACU) on the high lookout.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, the 13th edition IPL will be held in a bio-secure environment, i.e., the UAE, which significantly reduced the chance for people with questionable credentials to approach the player directly. The threat, however, remains largely due to the online network of corrupters.

BCCI ACU chief Ajit Singh, who leads an eight-man team in the UAE, confirmed PTI’s development. “We are tracking him down. It will take time,” said Singh when asked if the alleged corruptor had been caught.

Following anti-corruption protocols, the name of the player or franchise is not revealed for confidentiality purposes.

With players and support staff remaining in a bio-bubble, unlike in other years, the ACU focuses more on possible approaches to online corruption. Most of the players are found on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, where strangers posing as fans try to befriend them.

A senior BCCI official said that all players, whether foreign or Indian, have taken several anti-corruption courses.

“The most immeasurable section is that the player who was addressed immediately sensed something was fishy. He had suspicions and instantly shared his concerns with the ACU. All players, even those who came from under 19 years, are well aware of every anti-corruption protocol,” the head of the BCCI told PTI on condition of anonymity.

ACU had organized its mandatory counseling sessions virtually for all eight teams due to health and safety protocols.

BCCI has teamed up with UK firm Sportradar, which offers “integrity services” to restrict gambling and other corrupt activities during the upcoming IPL through its (FDS) fraud detection services technology.