Players are aware about how people approach for fixing, reveals Ajit Singh

With the fixers extending their modus operandi to keep up with the modern standard of Anti Corruption Unit, players have become more exposed to fixing. The nation-wide lockdown has put the players in their home isolation, which meant the chances have increased multifold. Recently, ICC ACU head Alex Marshall said that players are using various social media platforms amidst the lockdown which could lead to corrupt approaches being made.

But BCCI Anti Corruption Unit Head Ajit Singh clarified the situation by saying players have been educated about the possible ways a person can ask for fixing while adding that the ACU closely work with the players during the lockdown.

“We have made our players aware of the way people approach you and modus operandi through social media. We have told them ‘look this is how they (potential fixers and bookies) would approach you. They will try and behave like a fan and then try to meet you through someone who may be your acquaintance. Somehow these elements try and touch base with players. Most of [the India players], whenever it happens, do report to us that ‘I have got a contact,” Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.

To keep up with the fact that most of the top players have been active online with Q-and-A sessions on Twitter, and interactions on Instagram and Facebook Live, the security has become an issue for ACU. But Singh stated that whatever can be tracked online, they are doing it and having the rest on their database.

“Whatever can be tracked online, we do that. But obviously the physical verification part of going out and checking locations is out of the question in times of a lockdown. But if something comes to our notice, it automatically goes into our database and once lockdown is over, we will verify those if the need arises,” the veteran IPS officer added.