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  • Players come forward under anti-corruption amnesty Home > News > March 2012 >Players come forward under anti-corruption amnesty

    A number of players have come forward under an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) amnesty to report possible match-fixing approaches from the past.

    The reporting window, which is open until 30 April, was made after Essex cricketer Mervyn Westfield was jailed for admitting to accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to aid spot betting on a match in 2009.

    ECB Anti-Corruption Commission chief Chris Watts said: "It is a confidential reporting window. The only thing I will say is there have been some reports."




    Watts said the Westfield case had shown possible vulnerabilities in cricket, which needed addressing.

    "It has certainly brought a media spotlight on to anti-corruption and integrity, and the potential vulnerabilty of the domestic game," he told BBC Sport.

    "One of the reasons we put in the reporting window is to actually understand what is going on out there and what the vulnerabilities are.

    "Once we understand that, then we can refine and fine-tune some of the preventive measures we've put in place."

    Former Essex fast bowler Westfield was jailed for four months two weeks ago for agreeing to concede a set number of runs in a 40-over match at Durham in 2009.

    Watts hopes to speak to Westfield about his case and has not ruled out using him as part of the anti-corruption programme that the ECB runs in partnership with the Professional Cricketers’ Association.

    “He [Westfield} has got to be willing to do that. He did say publicly through his QC in his mitigation at his sentencing hearing that he wanted to give something back to cricket,” Watts said.

    “He’s the one that has got to stand up and do it. He’s made those soundings on intent but whether they come to fruition is a matter for him. Would I shut the door on him? No of course I wouldn’t but we would have to be careful how we manage that.

    “He’s got the inside knowledge about his experience so to hear that would be very powerful. For other players to hear at first hand would be very powerful but he has got to want to do it himself.”

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