The ICC anti-corruption chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan has insisted those involved in match-fixing are only "a tiny number".
Anti-corruption boss defends the ICC
The ICC's anti-corruption chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan has insisted those involved in match-fixing are only "a tiny number" despite the jailing of three Pakistan players.
And although Flanagan believes the scandal is not an isolated case, he has defended his organisation over accusations they should have done more to combat corruption and match-fixing.
Pakistan's former Test captain Salman Butt received a 30-month sentence at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, with fast bowler Mohammad Asif jailed for 12 months and Mohammad Amir six months.
Flanagan, a former top policeman who is the chairman of the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU), insisted cricket was recognised as a role model and that the work started by Lord Paul Condon more than 10 years ago has set the standard for sport.
He said: "I think it (corruption) is certainly not rampant in the world of cricket as I indicated earlier. I think it is engaged in by a tiny number of people.
"Sadly I wouldn't say the instances we have seen brought to justice are totally isolated either. They indicate we must be ever vigilant, they indicate that the hard work and the wonderful platform established by Lord Condon, which we have been able to build upon, is such we must never be complacent and ever vigilant.
Tiny proportion
"The vast, vast majority of cricketers are not only wonderfully talented, but wonderfully ethical people.
"It is only a tiny proportion of people, some of whom may have a pre-deposition to it and some who succumb to the evil advances of other people. My message to the followers of cricket is keep following, keep loving this wonderful game and don't be thinking that corruption is rampant within the game."
The players received five-year bans from the ICC earlier this year and Flanagan said the anti-corruption unit had worked with Scotland Yard on the criminal cases as well, after the scandal was brought to light by the
News of the World.
He added: "I find some of the criticism I have listened to very interesting and quite frankly, it comes from very ill informed people - people who have no idea how the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit within the ICC goes about its business.
"People have no idea about the emphasis we put on prevention and when we have to investigate, how my investigators work so professionally hand in hand with policing colleagues, just as they have done in this case.
"I commended
The News of the World at the time for their revelations that they have brought into the public domain, but there was still a tremendous amount of work to be done by my investigators in order to bring disciplinary charges to the independent disciplinary tribunal within the ICC and to continue their work hand in glove with the detectives from Scotland Yard to present the evidence in the criminal cases as well."
