'Bio-Bubbles' Will Help In Controlling IPL Match Fixers Approach Towards Players- BCCI Anti-Corruption Chief

Indian Cricket’s Anti-Corruption Chief, Ajit Singh, feels the corruptors will find it difficult to approach cricketers for spot-fixing due to their confinement in the bio-bubbles during the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League [IPL]

The 13th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League is all set to take place in the United Arab Emirates between September 19-November 10. The tournament will be played behind closed doors and players and other staff will have to abide by all the safety precautions laid by the BCCI in the form of Standard Operating Procedures.

Players of all eight teams will be confined to their respective ‘bio-bubbles’ and Ajit Singh reckoned that the move will help the anti-corruption officials “keeping a watch on people”  and that  ”Controlling the interaction between players and others will not be very difficult.”

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Two liaison officers per team will monitor players’ activities in IPL 2020- Ajit Singh

Ajit Singh also revealed that he will be assigning two liaison officers, who will be tasked with monitoring the activities of players of the assigned team during the 53-day tournament. Social media accounts of players will also be under strict supervision for coded messages.

The Indian Premier League has had a shady past as far as spot-fixing concerned. Back in 2013, the tournament, and Indian cricket, was rocked to the hilt following the expose of the betting scandal, which led to three Rajasthan Royals players- Santhakumaran Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandela, getting banned. The then Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra and Gurunath Meiyappan, son in law of N Srinivasan, were also caught in betting, following which both the franchises were suspended for a period of two years.

Later in 2019, Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder and former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was suspended for failing to report a corruption approach by the bookmakers during the 12th edition.

With the tournament taking place in what has been the breeding ground for corruption in the past- United Arab Emirates- the Anti-Corruption will be leaving no stone unturned to ensure they are adequately prepared for any possible breach that may take place during the tournament.

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