ICC bans Twitter use during World Cup matches due to corruption fears
By ANIWednesday, February 16, 2011
DUBAI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned players and officials from using social networking and microblogging service Twitter during World Cup matches.
The decision, led by the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit, is intended to remove the potential of illegal bookmakers contacting players and officials during play.
“When it comes to issues of corruption we prefer to err on the side of caution,” the Age quoted ICC spokesman James Fitzgerald, as saying.
“We don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, but there is a chance that sensitive information could be passed on during matches in this way, even inadvertently, and we just feel that team managers’ phones should be kept for operational purposes only,” he added.
Players and officials will be permitted to tweet when matches are not occurring.
The ban comes less than a fortnight after former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir received minimum five-year bans for their involvement in the deliberate bowling of no-balls in a Test against England at Lord’s last year. (ANI)
