ICC's ACSU boss claims illegal gamblers groom players using 'pedophile' tactics

International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan has claimed that illegal gamblers approach cricketers using tactics employed by paedophiles to groom players.

However, Flanagan believes spot-fixers would not affect the forthcoming World Cup, which starts on 14 February.

Flanagan said that the spot-fixers are almost like paedophiles in how they attempt to groom players to whatever suits the nefarious intentions in terms of illegal betting, adding that they have gone to great lengths to ensure they don't get their way, the BBC reported.

Cricket has been dogged by controversy in recent years, with Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir being found guilty of corruption and subsequently jailed in 2011, while former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful getting banned for eight years last June for match-fixing.

Flanagan, a former chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its successor the Police Service of Northern Ireland, took over as chairman of ICC's ACSU in 2010.

Flanagan claimed that they would be delivering education programmes to all the team squads reminding them of their responsibilities and reminding them of the commitment they must strictly adhere to throughout the tournament.

Flanagan claimed that players still had the trust of the ICC but added that in their line of work, they too often meet and know that there are rotten people out there, criminal people out there, who would do all in their power to connect to players and others of influence in the game.