TNPL 2016: TNCA takes measures to ensure integrity of India Cements TN Premier League

The India Cements TN Premier League has caught the eye of the cricket-loving public of Tamil Nadu with its quality of cricket and the presence of some big names of the state. In the backdrop, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has taken note of the risks around the sport and has left no stone unturned in its effort to ensure the integrity of the tournament by protecting the players from corrupt elements.

In its endeavour to protect the integrity of cricket during the India Cements TN Premier League, the TNCA has engaged the services of Mr. Ravi Sawani IPL, AGDP (Retd). He is in charge of providing strong anti-corruption measures during the tournament.

Here are some of the measures the TNCA has applied in the presence of Mr. Sawani:

1. A very stringent Anti -Corruption Code, with severe penal provisions, that covers the conduct of all players, player support personnel, match officials, tournament operations staff as also the owners and team managements of all the franchises.

2. Special protocols have been put i n place at the dressing rooms, restricting access and preventing use of all communication devices including data services while the match is being played.

3. New regulations provide that players and player support personnel may not be allowed to participate in the Tournament unless they receive compulsory Anti -Corruption Education Program.

4. Certain restrictions have been put in place relating to receipt of gifts etc and has set certain Dos and Don’ts for participants while staying at team hotels.

5. All the eight participating teams received a special Anti -Corruption Education Program (ACEP) delivered by Mr. Ravi Sawani in which he mainly highlighted the risks from frequent attacks by corruptors from the illegal betting markets and explained to the participants how these extremely dangerous criminals trapped young innocent players using innovative traps in which the participant once trapped is unable to wriggle out.

The participating teams have expressed their confidence in the anti-corruption machinery and the ACEP has had an impact already. Already, three participants reported alleged inappropriate approaches. On investigation, one was found to be a harmless misinterpretation of words while the other two (approaches) were made with the intent to fix matches.

The Anti-Corruption Team has dealt with the two approaches in a proper manner. Speaking about this, Mr. Sawani said, “The heartening development is that now the players are so much more aware of the dangers surrounding them and have immediate access to the Anti-Corruption Unit to report attempts to corrupt the game.”

“If players have developed this confidence and are freely reporting approaches, it’s a clear sign that the anti -corruption measures adopted by TNCA are working. Be that as it may, TNCA cannot afford to lower its guard and must continue to enforce all preventive vigilance measures. ”