Alex Marshall wants to ensure ‘BPL does not look like a vulnerable league’

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) brought in Alex Marshall as a consultant for BCB's anti-corruption department. Marshall, who served as ICC's anti-corruption unit general manager till September last year, said that his work will involve making the BPL less vulnerable to corruption.

"The reason I'm here is to work with the president and the board to design an integrity unit which protects the sport from all the different threats. Bangladesh cricket has been at the top table of cricket for a quarter of a century now and this is the right moment to make sure that whatever event is being watched the fans believe the sport they are seeing on the field and the players, the women and the men who play for Bangladesh, are correctly protected from all the threats out there," Marshall said during a media brief alongside BCB president Aminul Islam on Tuesday.

BPL has been mired in allegations of fixing along with other inconsistencies in the last season. The reform of BCB's ACU has been pondered over by the board in recent times. Team owners were embroiled in controversies and player payment became one of the big issues last BPL which also showed a kind of environment where corruption can find its way into cricket. The Englishman clarified that the aim of his work will be to make the BPL less vulnerable to corrupt individuals.

"The big threat in cricket is always anywhere in the world to a franchise league that can look vulnerable. So we need to make sure that the BPL does not look like a vulnerable league. So the way the event is run, the way that their finances work, the way that team ownership is decided all those things need to be high level and professional and need to be protected. So yes, the answer to your question is, anywhere in the world, a franchise league that is not seen as highly professional and well protected will at some point become vulnerable to corruptors trying to find their way in.

"It has happened in many, many countries and there have definitely been issues that have happened within the BPL and we need to make sure that a new integrity unit offers that protection," he said.

The newly-appointed consultant informed that he will be providing a design for the BCB in the next three to four weeks.

"I will then present that back to the board for their sign-off. And therefore, after that point, you would see the implementation of the unit," he said.