ICC asks members to sign anti-corruption declaration

The ICC has asked all of its Full Members to sign a declaration showing support for the organisation's new anti-corruption methods in a continuing bid to keep the game clean. The one-page letter is to be signed by both players and officials, and the process has already started.

"There was a declaration where we asked everybody that is involved in the game - players and officials - to declare their clear intent in joining us to ensure that the sport is clean," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. "It was done in the last week or so."

The move seems to have support from most major nations. Pakistan and Australia are believed to have been among the early signatories and South Africa are expected to be next. "The players are already subject to the anti-corruption code," Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), said. "This is a very simple declaration that shows support for the anti-corruption methods used by the ICC.

"We (SACA) support the players signing it and believe that everyone in cricket should sign it - including administrators and support staff - to show that we are all unified against corruption. Gerald Majola and I spoke about it and we agreed that it is a good thing for the people to sign. The South African players were playing a game yesterday and it's just a matter of logistics when they sign it, but we have encouraged them to. It doesn't take the detail of the anti-corruption code any further but it's a show of support against corruption."

An Australia Cricketers' Association official said the declaration - circulated among the players last week - was more of a PR exercise and that there was no sanctioning involved. "The Australian players were positive about it and happy to sign it."

Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer, said the board was yet to speak to its players about the document because of the on-going series between India and New Zealand. "It is not that they are shown a piece of paper and they are made to sign it. The players have to be talked to about the declaration before they can sign the document."