IPL 2020 | A player has reported corrupt approach, perpetrator being tracked, reveals Ajit Singh
BCCI's ACU chief Ajit Singh has revealed that a player in the Indian Premier League has reported a corrupt approach and the anti-corruption officials are tracking the culprit. ACU has conducted several virtual counselling sessions to educate players and the support staff about corrupt approaches.
The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League saw Shakib-Al-Hasan being at the receiving end of a corrupt approach, which he failed to report. That subsequently resulted in him being banned for a year (plus one year of suspended ban). While Shakib is almost on the verge of completing his ban and making a return to the cricket field, the story has definitely acted as an inspiration for young cricketers to take a cue and report the incident as soon as possible.
BCCI's ACU chief Ajit Singh revealed to the Press Trust of India that a player has reported a corrupt approach. The identity of the player and the team hasn’t been revealed yet.
"Yes (a player has reported an approach). We are tracking him (the person who made the approach). It will take some time," Ajit Singh, the former DGP of Rajasthan Police, said.
A BCCI official, meanwhile, revealed that the player who was approached was quick to report the suspicious incident to the ACU. The player's name, however, has not been revealed to preserve confidentiality.
"The best part is that the player who was approached immediately sensed that something was fishy. He had suspicion and he immediately shared his concerns with the ACU. Every player, even those who have come from the U-19s are well aware about each and every anti-corruption protocols," a BCCI official told PTI.
Given the fact that the players are staying in a bio-secure bubble, with no connection to the outside world, the BCCI ACU has conducted several virtual counselling sessions with the players and support staff about corrupt approaches made during the IPL. To make things simpler, BCCI also brought on board Sportradar, a leading supplier of sports integrity solutions and data products, to work alongside the ACU.
"The company's Fraud Detecting System (FDS) monitors odds in the markets of over 600 bookmakers and these bookmakers are of different kinds, from different countries, different regions, including the so-called grey market or the illegal operators," Tom Mace, who heads Sportradar's global operations, had revealed earlier.