Sir Ronnie Flanagan to retire from ICC anti-corruption unit chair post

Sir Ronnie Flanagan, ICC anti-corruption unit (ACU) independent chairman since 2010, has announced his retirement by the end of October. Flanagan made the decision only a few days after the head of the ACU, Alex Marshall, announced his retirement effective November. 

Flanagan is a well-reputed senior cop who was the Home Office chief inspector of constabulary for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and previously the chief constable of the police service of Northern Ireland. He served in the ACU for 14 years, having taken on the role in May 2010. Flanagan succeeded Paul Condon, who had stepped down after a 10-year-long term. 

Condon had set up the ACU in 2000 when cricketers from Pakistan, India and South Africa were found to be involved in match-fixing in different capacities. Consequently, Saleem Malik, Mohammad Azharuddin and late Hansie Cronje were handed life bans. 

Condon had warned that T20 cricket, especially the domestic franchise cricket, is the biggest threat to the game in terms of the scope of corruption. Since then, the number of such leagues have sprung up from every corner of the cricketing world with non-Test playing nations hosting T20 competitions and plenty of state-level leagues coming to the horizon as well. There are also multiple T10 leagues. And approaches to players become easier in such leagues with multiple such cases in the recent past. 

Marshall, a few days back, also warned the same – citing badly run domestic T20 leagues at lower level. 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) stated on Monday (September 23) that they have initiated the process to identify a suitable successor to Flanagan and a recommendation will be put forward at the October Board meetings.

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