Match-fixing 'sickness' not part of tournament - cricket bosses

Bosses of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 are confident the "sickness'' of match-fixing won't play a part in the showcase tournament starting on Saturday.

An anti-corruption unit inside the International Cricket Council (ICC), has drawn up a list of people identified as being involved in match or spot fixing and illegal betting.

The names of dodgy gamblers and fixers had been passed on to law enforcement agencies, ICC chief executive David Richardson said today, just three days out from the event's opening match.

Mr Richardson said it was the best-prepared tournament he'd ever seen for anti-corruption, security, and facilities.

"The preparations made by the anti-corruption unit for this tournament far exceed previous tournaments, mainly due to the increase in the intelligence or information at their fingertips," he told a pre-tournament press conference this morning in Christchurch. The city hosts the opening ceremony tomorrow, and the first game between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Cricket has been blighted by illegal betting and match fixing allegations and convictions.

The ICC says it now has "a far better idea" of those who travel the world trying to influence players, umpires and groundsmen.

For the past three years, the anti-corruption unit has been working with law enforcement agencies in New Zealand and tournament co-host Australia to gather intelligence and "prevent and disrupt" shady deals.

"We're in the best place ever to prevent any fixing," Mr Richardson said.

Anyone attempting to approach players to under-perform for cash would find it "very difficult", the ICC believes.

International players were increasingly coming forward to the ICC if they had concerns that people were trying to influence them.

"The players have been tremendous over the last couple of years, certainly the last 12 months, in really acknowledging their responsibility towards fighting the sickness in the game," said Mr Richardson.

"We're finding that we're getting so many more approaches from the players - even approaches on the face of very innocent approaches. They realise the threat that does exist.

"The fight really is against those corrupt guys that travel the world, rather than the players, but we need the players to help us."

Though there could be no guarantee of a clean tournament, he said everything had been done to minimise the risk.

The global security threat was also "an issue", Mr Richardson said today, but there had been no direct threat and he was confident security plans for the tournament were appropriate.

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