Robust security for CLcricket

Cricket's most lucrative club competition, the 6.5million-dollar Champions League Twenty20, begins in less than a week with organisers assuring "robust" anti-corruption and security measures. It will be the first multi-nation tournament to be held following the News of the World sting operation that led to the ICC's first-ever use of its provisional suspension clause to suspend the three Pakistan cricketers suspected of spot-fixing.

In the aftermath of the sting, seven international cricketers have so far come out and said they had been contacted by illegal bookies, the latest being the Australian David Warner, who said a group of men he found suspicious had approached him in New Delhi last year during the first edition of the CLT20.

This year the tournament is being held in South Africa from September 10 to 26, and Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa and a CLT20 governing council member, said that the organisers would be working with the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Securities Unit, "as we would for any major event like a World Cup. The governing council and ICC have put the same plans in place as they would for any event".

Dean Kino, another member of the CLT20 governing council, told ESPNcricinfo that a full allotment of the ICC's Anti-Corruption officers would be present during the tournament, which is not an ICC event. In addition to the ACSU and regular ground security, the South African firm Nicholls, Steyn & Associates will be on duty at the event dealing with security and anti-corruption issues. Four security agents will be present at every game, between three and four security officers will be attached to every team, and there will be a similar number at every hotel.

Kino said the spot-fixing controversy had not caused fresh concerns for the Champions League. "In case of players breaking the code, the same strictures would apply as they do in the ICC's anti-corruption code".

Posted in: Champions League Twenty20