The problem with WADA

Many South African officials are still wary of speaking on the issue, given that it involves the powerful IPL, but the belief that Steyn was shabbily treated is clearly widespread. "He took a common headache medicine - Myprodol - containing codeine, which is not a prohibited substance. In certain people codeine can cause a high concentration of morphine in the urine. Anyone who has laboratory experience in analysing this situation knows that a slightly higher presence of morphine than otherwise permitted is totally acceptable where there is also this level of codeine," one CSA official said.

( A few days ago, I had an debate with Raja Bharadwaj on BCC! - here)

The ACSU makes its case

The Australian team management has filed a report with the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit after a player was approached by a man suspected of links to illegal bookmaking. Cricinfo has learned the approach was made in the bar of the team's London hotel, the Royal Kensington Garden, following Australia's Ashes defeat at Lord's in July.

So let me understand this

• There is a lot od chatter and rumor about the integrity of the IPL hosted in South Africa. Sufficient enough for the ACSU and, in turn the ICC, to be concerned.
• Logic would dictate that more stringent measures would be put in place given the ICC concerns and the fact that it is a World Cup. But no, there is a report of players being approached by bookmakers during the World Twenty20 held in England.
• Such things happen, but surely there is now a water tight case for the ACSU to put together measures to "provide a professional, permanent and secure infrastructure to act as a long term deterrent to conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket."
• And yet, after the Lords Test, there is the report that an Australia player was approached by a bookie. In the team hotel no less.
  

Has there ever been a stronger case for organizational incompetence? And doesn't the BCCI stand vindicated in that it did not invest the $1.2 million in paying an organization that is incapable of executing even the role it was tasked for in the first place?

How effective is the ACSU?

"We are aware of a number of approaches that were made to key players during the tournament, and they were reported to the Anti Corruption and Security Unit. We were provided with very helpful information," said the source, who added that none of the ICC Twenty20 matches had been fixed.

writes Scyld Berry.

"We didn't cover it [the second IPL] but, in terms of intelligence, the volume of rumours and noises raised concerns about its integrity. One of the most significant rumours was that a bookmaker seemed to have a surprising access to the players," the source said. "The second IPL should have been covered properly, and cricket has paid a price. It was a wake-up call that the game has taken too long to respond to."

So lets understand this

• The ICC deems the IPL a domestic event and therefore cannot be granted a window, so what is the jurisdiction of any of the ICC affiliated bodies over a "domestic event" ?

As regards the coverage by the ACSU of the IPL2, the argument I had made was

I recruit an organization to implement a certain project. They provide consultants for the job, requiring me to hire a whole new set of people to implement the project. So far so good.

Then those consultants, and the people hired for the implementation, are a bit too over zealous with their tasks. ( Shahrukh not allowed in the KKR dug out!)Again, so far so good.

Then the head of the consulting firm bad mouths the project after the implementation despite me ceding control to his organization to oversee the said project.

Then, when I have to implement the same project all over again this year, the consulting firm quotes an exorbitant price for its services.

So much for cricket paying the price. Anywho, the point of of creating the ACSU, per the ICC website is

ANTI-CORRUPTION

• To assist the ICC Code of Conduct Commission ('the Commission') and the Members of ICC in the eradication of conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket; and to provide a professional, permanent and secure infrastructure to act as a long term deterrent to conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket.

SAFETY & SECURITY

• To evaluate safety and security assessments and intelligence in order to provide advice to the ICC Chief Executive and/or the Executive Board of the ICC ('the Executive Board') in relation to: (a) any event or competition organised by the ICC; and (b) the provision of match officials for FTP commitments

Given that 9 years after it came into existence, players are still being approached by bookmakers speaks volumes of the efficacy of the ACSU to providing "a professional, permanent and secure infrastructure to act as a long term deterrent to conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket."

And given that the IPL is deemed a "domestic event" by the ICC, what is the locus standi of the ACSU given that its brief is "To evaluate safety and security assessments and intelligence in order to provide advice to the ICC Chief Executive and/or the Executive Board of the ICC ('the Executive Board') in relation to: (a) any event or competition organised by the ICC; and (b) the provision of match officials for FTP commitments "?

Isn't the "senior source at the International Cricket Council." protesting too much?And what is the ICC doing about such unsolicited leaks?

And what about the ACSU itself - other than being another level of bureaucracy in an already over crowded bureaucracy that is the ICC, how effective is it exactly ( other than arriving at the scene of the supposed crime after the fact, in true police fashion)?

PS:- "In keeping with ACSU protocols, no specifics will be discussed in relation to the investigation and no further comment will be made." - which begs the question - What action is the ICC going to take against the "senior source at the International Cricket Council."?