'Players fear for safety after reporting bookie approaches'

Melbourne: Players live in fear after reporting approaches by bookies, especially in tournaments such as the IPL, claims International Cricketers’ Association chief Tim May. Match-fixing is back in spotlight due to the ongoing criminal trial against Pakistani cricketers — Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif — in London for allegedly conspiring to send down deliberate no balls during a Test match for cash. [caption id=“attachment_106531” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“International Cricketers’ Association chief Tim May (R) said players need to be sure that their names would be protected when they report approaches to the ICC. Scott Heavey/Getty Images”]  [/caption] The bookie at the centre of it all, Mazhar Majeed, has dropped names of other international players as well, including Australians. But the Aussies have been cleared of any wrongdoing by the ICC. May said players need to be sure that their names would be protected when they report approaches to the ICC. “Players need a point of trust to report approaches/suspicions,” May wrote in a report released yesterday. “Some international players are expressing that they don’t have this point of trust, especially in tournaments such as the Indian Premier League. “Players will be more inclined to report approaches etc if there is greater anonymity around the reporting process …some players won’t report breaches they observe for either fear of their safety or simply because they just don’t want to get involved,” the ‘Sydney Morning Herald quoted May as saying. PTI