Sir Ronnie Flanagan to retire as ICC anti-corruption unit chair
Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the esteemed chair of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), has announced that he will retire at the end of October. This news follows closely on the heels of ACU head Alex Marshall's decision to retire in November. Prior to his role with the ICC, Flanagan had a distinguished career in law enforcement, serving as Home Office Chief Inspector of Constabulary for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Here are further details.
Flanagan's tenure marked by strong anti-corruption measures
Flanagan took over the reins of the ACU in 2010, succeeding Lord Paul Condon, who formed the ACU in 2000 in order to tackle increasing incidents of match-fixing. During his tenure, three international captains were banned for life - Mohammad Azharuddin, Saleem Malik, and Hansie Cronje. As T20 cricket began to gain popularity, Condon warned that it posed "the biggest challenge to the integrity of cricket," a prediction that was confirmed with the 2013 IPL corruption scandal.
Flanagan's call for stronger anti-corruption laws
In response to the IPL corruption scandal, Flanagan addressed the ICC annual conference in June 2013. He urged heads of all cricket boards to implement stricter anti-corruption laws. These laws were aimed at prosecuting players, match officials, and franchise owners, who were guilty of corrupt practices in domestic T20 leagues. The ICC has announced that it plans to propose a "recommendation" for the next ACU chair by its quarterly round of meetings in October.
