Corruption not rampant says Flanagan

Sir Ronnie Flanagan, chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption and security unit ACSU, also defended his organisation against accusations they should have done more to combat corruption and match-fixing. Pakistan’s former Test captain Salman Butt received a 30-month sentence at Southwark Crown Court, fast bowler Mohammad Asif 12 months and Mohammad Amir six months.

Flanagan, a former top policeman, insisted cricket was recognised as a role model and that the work started by Lord Paul Condon more than ten years ago has set the standard for sport.

He said: “I think it [corruption] is certainly not rampant in the world of cricket as I indicated earlier. I think it is engaged in by a tiny number of people.

“Sadly I wouldn’t say the instances we have seen brought to justice are totally isolated either.

“They indicate we must be ever vigilant, they indicate that the hard work and the wonderful platform established by Lord Condon, which we have been able to build upon, is such that we must never be complacent and ever vigilant.”

The players received five-year bans from the ICC earlier this year and Flanagan said the ICC’s anti-corruption unit had worked with Scotland Yard on the criminal cases as well, after the scandal was brought to light by the News of the World.

He added: “I find some of the criticism I have listened to very interesting and quite frankly, it comes from very ill informed people - people who have no idea how the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit within the ICC goes about its business.

“I commended The News of the World at the time for their revelations that they have brought into the public domain, but there was still a tremendous amount of work to be done by my investigators in order to bring disciplinary charges.”