The ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit announced a major coordinated operation in 2023 targeting organised corruption networks operating across multiple franchise T20 leagues simultaneously — identifying intermediaries who had penetrated multiple competitions.
By 2023, the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit had identified a pattern that went beyond individual player corruption: organised networks of intermediaries operating simultaneously across multiple franchise T20 leagues, using personal connections to players to gain access to sensitive match information.
These networks typically operated through former cricketers or cricket insiders who had legitimate reasons to be in dressing rooms and team environments. They would gather information — team compositions, pitch conditions, player fitness — and pass it to offshore betting operations.
The operation identified specific individuals connected to leagues in the UAE, the Caribbean, and South Asia who appeared in multiple investigations across different tournaments and years. The cross-league nature of the network — using the same core group of corruptors across different competitions — was considered a significant intelligence finding.
The ICC worked with law enforcement agencies in several countries, which was unusual given cricket's historical reliance on its own internal enforcement mechanisms. Several individuals were banned from all cricket-related activities. Law enforcement agencies in some jurisdictions launched parallel criminal investigations.
The operation was considered one of the most significant anti-corruption actions in cricket since the 2010 sting that caught Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt, and Mohammad Asif. It underlined that corruption was not random opportunism but was, in many cases, organised criminal activity.
ICC ACU identifies cross-league corruption network pattern
Intermediaries tracked across UAE, Caribbean, and South Asian leagues
Law enforcement agencies in multiple countries engaged
Former players acting as access agents identified and banned
ICC tightens accreditation processes at franchise events
“What we identified was not isolated incidents but organised networks operating systematically. That requires a different kind of response — coordinated, intelligence-led, and not limited to cricket's own jurisdiction.”
The operation prompted the ICC to implement new protocols around match-day access in franchise leagues — restricting who could enter team environments on match days and requiring enhanced background checks for non-player personnel. The cross-league coordination required new international law enforcement cooperation that set a precedent for future investigations.
Multiple individuals — primarily intermediaries and former players acting as fixers — banned from all cricket activities. Law enforcement referrals made in relevant jurisdictions. Several leagues under enhanced monitoring.
South Africa vs Various
7 April 2000
South African captain Hansie Cronje was found guilty of match fixing after Delhi Police intercepted phone calls between Cronje and an Indian bookmaker, Sanjay Chawla.
South Africa vs England
18 January 2000
Hansie Cronje engineered a contrived result at Centurion after rain had washed out most of the Test, later revealed to have been done at the behest of a bookmaker in exchange for a leather jacket and cash.
India vs Various
5 December 2000
Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin was banned for life by the BCCI after the CBI found evidence of his involvement in match fixing, based on revelations from the Hansie Cronje investigation.