04 November,2011 07:56 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
In the aftermath of the spot-fixing gate, former South Africa captain and administrator Dr Ali Bacher wants cricket boards world over to introduce a clause in central contracts, warning a player of the repercussions of corruption. And, in turn, he wants top cricketers to sign these contracts in front of the media.
Dr Ali Bacher
"At the end of the day, players are responsible to their respective board because they get a contract and a retainer. In those contracts, there should be a clause, which reminds them of the penalties they will receive if they are ever involved in any malpractice. When they sign these contracts, they must do it front of the media.
World cricket must be able to watch this on television as top stars take oath to fight corruption. This will inspire young cricketers watching at home," Bacher, who was at the centre of the storm when former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje was handed a life ban for match-fixing in 2000, told MiD DAY from Johannesburg yesterday.
Bacher maintained that the ICC had failed in its battle against corruption. "The reality is that they have spent millions of dollars setting up a structure in the last decade, but that hasn't prevented malpractice. They need to re-look at their strategy. I'm certain corruption is still very rampant in cricket.
"This is the biggest watershed in the history of cricket. Going to jail is a very serious thing and I must applaud everyone that worked on this investigation. However, I am not sure to what extent this will help eradicate corruption. Let us not forget that betting is a 50 million dollar industry in the sub-continent," he said.
Many got away in 1990s
Bacher said that a lot more cricketers would have been nabbed in the corruption net in the 1990s had there been stronger evidence: "The biggest difference between the ICC meetings I had between 1996 and 1999, and now, is that there is concrete evidence this time round. When I used to tell ICC officials about corruption, the delegates would ask me for evidence. This is the first time ever when discussions were caught on tape and there's a lot of evidence to punish these guys. Now, it's not easy for players to get away," Bacher signed off.
