How the ICC are tackling illegal gambling for Cricket World Cup 2015

The cricket world is in a fierce battle against the increasing use of technology in illegal bookmaking. In order to protect their interests ahead of the World Cup starting in February 2015, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is entering into agreements with the Federal Police in Australia and across the ditch in New Zealand. One such agreement is a memorandum of understanding between the ICC and Australian Federal Police, which allows for the sharing of information between the two entities.

Part of the ICC crackdown on illegal bookmaking and match fixing involves placing a “gag” order on groundsmen from Australia’s premier cricketing venues such as the SCG and the Adelaide Oval. Recently, groundsmen from all around the world were flown to New Zealand to attend a meeting where they were warned to stop giving out detailed information about the pitches before matches. Traditionally, groundsmen openly spoke about the pitches that they produced in the lead up to a match. They would supply information about everything from whether they would prefer to bat or bowl first or whether they thought the pitch might favour a particular side. No longer can groundsmen do such things, the ICC is well aware that the information ultimately ends up in the hands of the gambling community prematurely.