‘TAMPERING HURTING CRICKET’

LONDON: Global cricket boss David Richardson said ball tampering and bad behaviour threatened “cricket’s DNA” and would not be tolerated by fans in the wake of the Australia cheating scandal. The ICC chief executive said the “public has spoken” on bad behaviour in the game as he delivered the annual MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s on Monday night.

“Cricket’s DNA is based on integrity, but we have seen too much behaviour of late that puts that in jeopardy and this has to stop,” Richardson said. “Sledging that amounts to no more than personal abuse, fielders giving send-offs to batsmen who have been dismissed, unnecessary physical contact, players threatening not to play in protest against an umpire’s decision and ball tampering. This isn’t the version of our sport that we want to project to the world.”

opportunity to monetise this format for greater financial stability. It is learnt that the ICC is neither supporting the T10 tournament nor has plans at this stage to introduce another format, internationally. Given Sharjah’s dark past with cricket corruption — India have an unofficial ban on the region — managing a scandalfree championship will be a tough ask on the organisers. A recent sting operation done by Dohabased global TV channel Al Jazeera exposed how Emirates remains a favourite hunting ground of match fixers and the ICC is fully aware.