IPL 2020 not entirely free from risk of corruption due to social media: BCCI ACU head

Ever since the BCCI announced the IPL dates, the teams and tournament organizers have been in overdrive getting everything ready for the tournament. Several players have started training for the IPL 2020, with franchises figuring out the logistics of the tournament that will now be completely held in the United Arab Emirates. According to the announced IPL dates, the tournament will begin on September 19, with the IPL 2020 final scheduled for November 10. Ahead of the tournament, the head of BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has talked about the possible influence of corruptors during the IPL 2020.

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IPL 2020 likely to be more secure: BCCI ACU chief                                                       

Talking to ESPNcricinfo on Thursday, BCCI ACU chief Ajit Singh said that the IPL 2020 is definitely going to be safer from an anti-corruption point of view because there is going to be no interaction between teams, support staff and outsiders. Singh further said that while the IPL 2020 is certainly going to be more secure, it is not going to be a foolproof thing. The BCCI administrator further explained that with all teams separated from each other and living inside their secure bio bubbles, their movement will be monitored digitally. The restriction of movement due to the safety precautions will also mean that the normal modus operandi of corruptors for approaching players will become non-existent.

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The ACU chief then explained how match-fixers and betters approach cricketers during tournaments. Singh discussed that corruptors throng around the hotel and keep sitting in the hotel lobby. Coming in as sponsors, they use the cover of approaching cricketers to become brand ambassadors when negotiating about corrupt activities.

Ajit Singh vary of social media during IPL 2020

However, the BCCI ACU chief was still concerned about an invisible challenge during the IPL 2020. Ajit Singh admitted that while face-to-face interaction with the players may not be possible, communication through social media could still take place. Sharing an example, the administrator explained that a corruptor could approach a cricketer as a fan on Facebook, which could look like an innocent post. To counter this, Singh disclosed that the BCCI is continuing with anti-corruption education for the players.

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BCCI’s Anti-Corruption plans for IPL 2020 revealed

Another way the BCCI plans to ensure the IPL 2020 stays corruption-free is by monitoring the betting market. The Anti-Corruption unit will monitor the betting market for suspicious trends, while also monitoring social media at the same time. In addition to the BCCI’s efforts, each IPL 2020 franchise will have two security liaison officers (SLOs), who will be staying with the team and will travel with them for training and match days.

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Image Courtesy: twitter/ipl