ICC Warns International Cricket Fraternity Across The Globe:
One of the ways of players interacting with their fans has been via different social media sites with the world continues to be under shutdown due to pandemic. Now, according to the anti-corruption unit of the ICC, these sites have been reported to have a ‘darker side.’
The ICC in a letter to the national boards has issued a warning amid concerns of players being approached by corruptors through social media platforms in the wake of covid-19 lockdowns. The letter, accessed by a leading sports website, states – ‘With most of the world experiencing lockdowns and restrictions, it has left many with time on their hands, some of which can be filled on social media. The creativity some have shown has been remarkable but there is a darker side,” states the letter before making a note of the approaches made during the lockdown. “We have seen evidence that the miscreants are using their time to contact players through social media, particularly Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook.”
A leading sports website quoted two of those players who have been approached through social media as belonging to the men’s team of the USA. One of the players was approached by an person providing kit sponsorship already on the radar of the ICC Anti Corruption Unit while the specifics of the second approach are still unclear.
This is not the first time that US players have been targets with malicious intent by individuals. A leading sports website quoted that two of the U.S. national team players had been approached just before last year’s Global T2O Canada league draft.
The players received phony calls from individuals posing as team representatives asking to fulfill their ‘demands’ instead of being picked into the draft to play the franchise tournament. Eventually one of those players was picked in the draft, but withdrew from the tournament after failing to get the US No Objection Certificate.
