Fixing verdict reaffirms CA`s resolve against corruption

Melbourne: A "committed" Cricket Australia reaffirmed its resolve to tackle corruption in the game on "priority" basis following the conviction of Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in the spot-fixing scam.

"As an ICC member, CA has long supported the ICC`s view that anti-corruption needs to be a priority wherever the game is played," CA chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement. "It is critically important that the public has confidence in the integrity of the on-field cricket contests it sees.” "Like all other member countries, we have an obligation to implement anti-corruption measures and we are even more committed to this after hearing today`s news out of the London courts," he added. "Our consistent position has been that any credible evidence of corruption be investigated with vigour." Sutherland`s statement came a day after Butt and Asif were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments by a criminal court in London yesterday, for fixing part of a Test match at Lord`s last year. The third accused, 19-year-old pacer Mohammad Aamir, who was also involved in the conspiracy, did not face trial as he had pleaded guilty. Meanwhile, Australia captain Micheal Clarke has said that there was no place for any sort of malpractice in the game. "There is no place in any sport for match fixing of any kind and the verdicts handed down today in the UK should act as a strong deterrent for any player or administrator who tries to denigrate our great game," Clarke said. "While today`s proceedings are a step in the right direction, it is hugely important that the authorities continue to put processes in place to rid the game of match fixing forever," the Aussie skipper insisted. PTI