Undercover agents posing as bookmakers should be used to test the honesty of international cricket players, Judge Edwin King has recommended in his second interim report on match-fixing in cricket.
The report, which was handed to President Thabo Mbeki this week, also proposes that players' telephones and e-mail be monitored, that they should be subjected to compulsory, random lie-detector tests comparable to drugs tests for athletes, and that players who do not blow the whistle if they suspect dishonesty should be penalised.
Briefing the media on Thursday, Judge King said some of the suggestions might be "drastic", but were intended to ensure that malpractices were eliminated from the game.
The commission, appointed by Mbeki to investigate allegations of the involvement of former SA captain Hansie Cronje in match-fixing, is due to resume its hearings on January 25 and plans to submit a final report in the first half of next year.
In the interim report released on Thursday, Judge King thanked the public for the "enormous" response to his call for suggestions on how to rid the game of dishonesty.
The report's recommendations focus on five areas: education and training; control and supervision; financial security; governance; punishment and sanctions.
Young cricketers should be taught "from their earliest days" about "the spirit of the game ... and fair play", the report says. A watchdog committee should be appointed to oversee the game and report breaches of ethics to the United Cricket Board (UCB).
Measures should also be taken to shield players from bookmakers and other undesirable elements.
One of the most controversial recommendations is that players' telephones and e-mails should be monitored, a proposal which may be in conflict with the right to privacy guaranteed in the constitution.
The report also suggested that cricket betting should be controlled by the UCB and that a tax on cricket betting could be used to improve the players' remuneration.
- Lawyers acting on behalf of Cronje on Thursday won a legal argument over the resumption of the inquiry.
Cronje's personal attorney, Les Sackstein, lodged an urgent application with the Cape High Court, demanding a review of the intention to resume hearings in January.
The application was based on legal protocol, as Sackstein believed he and his team had not been given sufficient warning of the resumption.
Counsel for the commission agreed they would not deal with any matters concerning Cronje until February 19, the date on which his legal team said they would be ready to attend. - Reuters
