Cricket Australia (CA) has reportedly announced an amnesty period for cricketers to report corruption-related suspicions in an extraordinary effort to tidy out match fixing and zero in on shady characters behind it.
Cricketers face bans of up to five years if they are found to have failed to report information relating to a breach of the CA's anti-corruption code but in an Australian first they have been told that they would be spared from penalty if they come forward with any evidence from their careers by the end of November.
The move comes as anti-corruption investigators prepare to confront the threat of match and spot fixing at this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The organisers, the International Cricket Council, last year signed a memorandum of understanding with the Australian Federal Police in a bid to assist them in combating corruption in the tournament, which is the world's third biggest sporting event, Stuff.co.nz reported.
The amnesty period to be announced on Monday is directed at fleshing out information or suspicions that current international and state players might have from throughout their careers.
The game's anti-corruption measures are generally conducted in high secrecy but CA's senior manager of integrity Iain Roy revealed that there had already been no shortage of reporting by players since CA's Integrity Unit was formed last December.
Roy said that no specifics, but he could reveal that they have had plenty. He added that they have had a range of reports and it does range from stuff that has happened in Australia through to stuff that has happened outside Australia.
Roy said that the impunity offered to players in the reporting period until November 30 was installed to urge cricketers to tell officials about any suspicious activity that doesn't feel right and covering all periods.
