SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has partnered with independent crime-fighting agency CrimeStoppers to launch a confidential corruption hotline, titled – ‘The Cricket Integrity Line’.
The ECB launches its integrity hotline, as the English cricket season begins this April/May period, with its service allowing players and officials to ‘report suspicious activity anonymously’.
The integrity hotline will be managed by CrimeStoppers, with cricket stakeholders reassured that all information submitted will be reviewed and scrutinised by Cricket officials before any formal investigation can be launched.
In 2016, the ECB would become a member of cricket’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), collaborating on match corruption and integrity issues alongside First Class Cricket Clubs (FCCC), Women’s Cricket, FCCC Academies, the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The Cricket Integrity Line arrives at a key period for English cricket, as the ECB commits to launching its new ‘100 balls per team’ format ‘The Hundred’ (working title) next year.
Seeking to engage cricket with broader audiences, The Hundred league will see eight city-based franchise teams, each of which will field both a men’s and women’s team, with the competition broadcast on Sky Sports.
