The International Cricket Council is considering using undercover agents to help fight corruption in the sport, chief executive Haroon Lorgat has revealed. Under the proposal, cricket's governing body would employ agents to pose as illegal bookmakers and approach cricketers.
Players who fail to report the approaches could be fined or suspended under the ICC anti-corruption code.
The plans are, however, only in their initial stage as the ICC looks at ways to stamp illegal bookmakers out of the sport in the wake of the spot-fixing controversy that marred Pakistan’s recent tour of England.
"We are thinking of setting up our own approaches to players, to see if they report it, we will think out of the box," Lorgat told The Age newspaper of Melbourne.
"It is only a tentative plan at this stage, we are working on a number of measures to combat corruption. We are not sitting on our hands on this issue, we are being as proactive as we can in ensuring the integrity of the game is maintained."
At present players are obliged to inform their national associations of any illegal approaches made to them by bookmakers.
The plan could be approved during the ICC's next meeting, meaning undercover agents could be in operation in time for this winter's Ashes series.