Cricket

GANG OF FOUR

No, we are not talking about (in)famous Gang of Four of Chinese Revolution of early 70s – Jiang Qing (last wife of Mao Zedong), Zhang Chunqiu, Yao Wen yuan and Wang Hongwei but we are talking about modern day revolutionaries of Africa Cricket for manipulation of truth by giving forceful direction within Cricket Games allegedly for personal gains. Apparently, this is under 4 individuals belonging to self-explanatory title photo-Ad and led by one from Tanzania & deep kinship from Kenya making true fraternity among Gang of Four.

 

Mr. Alex john Marshall, proud possessor of Commander of British Empire (CBE) and Queen's Police Medal (QBE) Awards, a Master in Criminology from University of Cambridge, doesn't require any introduction. After his retirement he joined ICC – International Cricket Council as a General Manager in ICC Integrity Unit, in 2017. Interestingly 2017 is the beginning of New ICC Era under new ICC Constitution with only 2 types of memberships instead of 3 and 17 Board of Directors instead of 10 to run the Global Governing Body and a new horizon of Global Cricket through its new-powerful strong Associate members outgrowth significant lead in 2nd Tier of Global Cricket.

 

Unfortunately, since then, gradual increase of Cricket Corruption in 2nd tier memberships started showing galloping rise where tentacles of Money and Power invaded the never-heard-before Corruption within Associate Memberships.  Today with the "blessings" of Short Formats of Cricket, cancerous spread of Cricket Corruption in form of all sort of prior "betting & fixings" taking the common Dias in many parts of the world.  But by unfathomable far, South Asian origins are the absolute dominating force of Global Cricket "betting & fixings" whether in Southern Asia or Middle East and now in Africa.

 

Fascinatingly in the Gang of Four of Africa, 3 top maneuverers are South Asian Origins, TK from Tanzania, MP from Kenya and SD from Botswana, and not any African Natives to lead. However, the MP of Kenya is well served by a famous former player of African origin TT.  Curiously this TT of Kenya a known African figure as a player and also to be a known person who was thrown out of Kenya Cricket Board around 10 years back for alleged misappropriation of $10,000 USD.

 

Alex Marshall does not have the privilege like Jacque Cousteau to explore the beauty under the surface but definitely with the baggage of a former British Detective-Chief-Inspector of the Anti-Corruption Command of Metropolitan Police believe to have the proficiency to curtail drastically this under the surface Global "betting & fixings" phenomenon at the cost of Good-Cricket.

 

We are informed that Alex Marshall's team have elaborated an advisory with 14 points Questionnaire/directive for all ICC Associate members in 2023, to act correctly against "betting & fixings" predators:

 

++ ELABORATION FOR MEMBERS  BY ICC ++

 

In addition to standard due diligence checks, the following information should be requested of any potential sponsors and/or league or franchise owner/s:

 

1. What is your main business/source of income? Describe the corporate or other structure of the legal entities that comprise the Company. Include any helpful diagrams or charts. Provide a list of the officers and directors of the Company and a brief description of their duties.

 

2. Provide details on your company background including company certificate of incorporation.

 

3. What is your motivation for involvement in the league / sponsorship?

 

4. What is your prior experience in cricket/sports events?

 

5. Provide details on your ability to pay the required fees, including player payments, operational costs and any other payments related to the franchise.

 

6. What is the source of your funds that will be utilized to finance the franchise license fee and operations?

 

7. Who else is involved, whether with a financial interest, or not? Provide full details of all linked persons, companies, sponsors, shareholders, team owners/management etc. List of all subsidiaries and other entities (including partnerships) in which the Company has an equity interest; organizational chart showing ownership of such entities; and any agreements relating to the Company's interest in any such entity.

 

8. Does any entity have betting links?

 

9. Do you or any of your immediate family member(s), or any other potential sponsor / entity / related party involved, bet on cricket?

 

10. Do you or any of your immediate family member(s) have any other cricket interests, financial or otherwise? – provide details

 

11. Do you have any outstanding cricket financial commitments? – provide details (e.g., do you have any outstanding payments for cricket events?)

 

12. Have you or any of your immediate family member(s) / support staff had any current or prior involvement in any anti-corruption unit investigation, anywhere?

 

13. Do you or any of your immediate family member(s) / support staff have any pending or threatened proceedings or investigations before any court or any regulatory authority?

 

14. Have you / support staff or anyone else directly involved with the franchise ever been convicted of any criminal offence by any court

 

++

 

The Title Photo-Ad clearly indicates that on "PSS" is the main or Title Sponsor of the 4 Nations T20 Cup Tournament, under host Tanzania; and PSS abbreviation is a very welcoming name for TK and MP of Tanzania and Kenya and also with new-found-collaborator SD of Botswana who is allegedly giving guarantee to principal host(s) and PSS, the ICC "Green Corridor" on a platter through his close association with ICC management?

 

The Company or rather companies behind PSS are definitely not uneventful velvety runner, adhere to above 14 points questionaries of ICC.  They are known to some investigating sports reporters from its past involvements with various entities, from Himalayan South Asia to Middle-East, and also earlier unsuccessful disastrous and chaotic endeavor with Uganda on a lighter & earlier encounter couple of years back, and more recently and continuously trying with MP of Kenya and TK of Tanzania to make the quick cleaving in Africa foothold with these African-Asian collaborators and now THEY ARE BACK with new face and facet.

 

We do not have any hesitancy to say that players and supporting staff of these 4 countries are very potential but  street-smart dubious characters of those countries through well camouflaged progressive operations moving to sell-out the dignity of the players and Cricket on the whole.

 

We are confident that despite the adversity of multinational procedures against sports corruption, ICC Integrity Unit will do-all within its power to act to S T O P the application of Cricket -Criminology by "betting & fixings" predators in Africa.

 

Please remain attentive to read in future, as we shall be exposing soon new Inside Stories of MP and TK and their African Trojan Horse race in East Africa including this Gang of Four.