900-page report led to BPL auction omissions, says Marshall
Alex Marshall, the independent chair of the BCB's newly formed Integrity Unit, has revealed that his advice to keep nine cricketers out of the BPL auction was based on a 900-page report submitted by a three-member investigation committee.
The omission of the nine players from this year's BPL auction raised several eyebrows, with Anamul Haque - one of those excluded - publicly urging the BCB to provide proof of any alleged wrongdoing.
Marshall said he is committed to making the evidence public once the ongoing "live investigation" is concluded. He also revealed plans to work with Bangladeshi authorities to introduce criminal legislation aimed at tackling corruption in sport.
"I have given advice to the governing council, based on reading the 900-page report, that some people should not be invited to this edition of the BPL. Some are players, some are not," Marshall said.
"I've given that advice to try and prevent problems happening. Those people are not banned from cricket. They're just not invited to this event."
Marshall stressed that details of the cases will only be released after due process. "I'll only give the details of the case if and when they either plead guilty to breaches of the code or a tribunal has found them guilty. Then the decision is published online so everyone can see the full detail."
He added that discussions are underway with the government to criminalize corruption in cricket. "I hope in the next few months to work with the authorities in Bangladesh, who I hope will introduce criminal legislation that would indeed make people who did what you're describing criminal," he said, adding that franchise owners in BPL 12 will face thorough scrutiny.
"Owners are among the people who need to ensure this event is clean and successful. They will all be looked at. Everyone who works for them will be looked at, and where the money is coming from will be looked at," he said.
"They will be left in no doubt that I want to work with them for a safe event - and what the consequences will be if, through their ownership, bad people get at this event."
When asked about the presence of suspected individuals at the auction tables, Marshall hinted at imminent developments. "Some people are going to have some unpleasant surprises between now and the start of the BPL," he said.
"There are people who may well have got away with breaching the anti-corruption code at recent editions. Those people will be targeting this event, probably still thinking they can get away with it. Me and my team, with the help of the ICC, are taking a lot of actions to cut those people off," he concluded.
