Dhaka: The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) newly appointed anti-corruption consultant, Alex Marshall, has emphasized the importance of designing a new integrity unit to protect the country’s cricket from corrupt practices. Marshall, who served as the ICC’s anti-corruption unit general manager until September last year, has been appointed by the BCB for a year.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Marshall met with the BCB president, Aminul Islam Bulbul, and the directors at a local hotel in the city on Tuesday. During a subsequent media address, he shared his vision for safeguarding the sport. “The reason I’m here is to work with the President and the Board to design an integrity unit which protects the sport from all the different threats,” Marshall stated.
Marshall highlighted the need to ensure that both male and female Bangladesh players are adequately protected. He mentioned that the BCB leadership is highly supportive of protective measures for the sport. “We will design an integrity unit with the aim of ensuring everyone is educated, that they understand what the threat looks like, and that the team has the necessary security and protection,” he added.
The consultant pointed out the importance of scrutinizing every aspect of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), including the team ownership structure, to make the tournament less susceptible to corruption. He emphasized that a franchise league’s vulnerability can be its biggest threat and stressed the need for high professional standards in the tournament’s operations, financial management, and team ownership.
Marshall also discussed the broader threats facing cricket, including doping and safeguarding against abuse, but reiterated that the primary threat comes from corruptors seeking to bribe players to underperform.