The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked all of its Full Members to sign a declaration showing support for the organisation's new anticorruption methods in a continuing bid to keep the game clean. The one-page letter is to be signed by both players and officials, and the process has already started.

"There was a declaration where we asked everybody that is involved in the game — players and officials — to declare their clear intent in joining us to ensure that the sport is clean," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo yesterday. "Itwas done in the last weekorso."

The move seems to have support from most major nations. Pakistan and Australia are believed to have been among the early signatories and South Africa are expected to be next "The players are already subject to the anticorruption code," Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), said. "Thisisaverysimpledeclara-tion that shows support for the anti-corruption methods used by theICC.

An Australia Cricketers' Association official said the declaration — circulated among the players last week — was more of a PR exercise and that there was no sanctioning involved. "The Australian players were positive about it and happy to sign it.” Ratnakar Shetty, the Indian cricket board's chief administrative officer, said the board was yet to speak to its players about the document because of the ongoing series between India and New Zealand. "It is not that they are shown a piece of paper and they are made to sign it. The players have to be talked to about the declaration before they can sign the document." DECLARATION'S

CONTENT

"As a participant, official or administrator involved in the sport of cricket, I fully understand that public confidence in the authenticity and integrityofa cricket match is vital and if that confidence is undermined for any reason, then the essence of cricket as a sport could be damaged immeasurably.

"With that in mind, I hereby declare my unconditional commitment to maintaining the integrity of the sport and supporting the International Cricket Council and its Member Boards in their determined efforts to prevent any form of corrupt practices from infiltrating the sport I am also personally committed to playing a meaningful role in maintaining the public's faith in the game and its integrity."