The functions of ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit is all set to be reviewed by cricket's big three nations -- Australia, England and India -- and the watchdog is expected to report directly to the Chairman of the Board rather than the Chief Executive.
It means barring some dramatic turn of events, the ACSU will report to N Srinivasan, who is currently not performing his duties as BCCI president on orders from Supreme Court of India, as he is likely to become the ICC Board Chairman.
According to ESPNcricinfo, during ICC's meetings in Dubai last month, a formal review into the functions of the ACSU was commissioned, with the report to be compiled by a four-member team including representatives of India, England and Australia, alongside the ICC chief executive David Richardson.
It is believed that a proposal was discussed at meetings surrounding the central board gatherings of the ICC and IDI (ICC Development International, the current commercial arm of the ICC). The proposal pushed for a reduction of the size of the central ACSU in favour of closer links between the anti-corruption teams of full member nations.
While the proposal is understood to have been met with mixed response by representatives of several nations, the commitment to a review of the workings of the ACSU was encouraged by the widely held view that the issue of corruption in the game has changed shape considerably since the unit was set up.
At the time of its inception in 2000, under the control of the retired Commissioner of London Metropolitan Police, Lord Condon, corruption was seen as primarily an issue for international games broadcast on satellite television.
However, with coming of T20 cricket, the number of opportunities for matches to be illegally influenced, has encouraged cricket boards to initiate their own units, which may now work more cohesively together.
"Because the issue of corruption has moved a lot in recent years with the emergence of domestic T20 competitions, it was time to look at the structure of the policing force and how they tie together," an official was quoted as saying.
"It's about making sure they work across international and domestic cricket as a united force, as opposed to being islands of anti-corruption people.
