SPORTS REPORTER

In its bid to ensure a corruption-free 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has adopted a “prevention is better than cure” approach, said Alex Marshall, chairman of the newly formed BCB Integrity Unit, while speaking to reporters yesterday.

As part of this approach, Marshall said the BCB has revised the payment structure for Integrity Unit officials -- formerly Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) officials -- who were previously paid by the franchises they were assigned to.

“There will be no relationship, financial or otherwise, between individual franchises and anybody working for the ACU,” Marshall said, adding that the Integrity Unit has been keeping tabs on suspected officials.

The BPL governing council recently excluded nine players from last month’s auction -- the first in 12 years -- based on Marshall’s review of a 900-page report detailing irregularities and fixing allegations from previous editions.

The Integrity Unit stated yesterday that they “have evidence” supporting the exclusions. Asked whether the evidence was concrete, BCB lawyer Barrister Mahin M Rahman, who also serves as general counsel to the Integrity Unit, said: “The 900-page report is not an essay. There is evidence there and interviews along with reports.”

Questions have arisen over why the excluded players were allowed to compete in other tournaments, such as the recently concluded National Cricket League. The Integrity Unit said that because it is a “live investigation” and involves a “long legal process,” the BPL exclusions are being implemented as a “safety measure”.

Marshall also noted allegations of franchise officials breaching the anti-corruption code, identifying the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) and team hotels as hotspots for corrupt approaches.

“I can already see from my live investigations that PMOA regulations were breached last year and in previous years. There was communication from inside the PMOA to people outside, which facilitates breaches of the anti-corruption code and could lead to inside information being leaked to people who would use it for nefarious purposes.

“The hotel environment is very interesting because some breaches of the anti-corruption code are generated through casual conversations and informal meetings,” he added.

Marshall said he will hold discussions with franchise owners, and that the ICC is assisting the Integrity Unit in keeping suspect officials away. BCB officials also said they are pursuing “specialised laws” and are in talks with the government to make corruption in cricket a criminal offence.