Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja on Monday suggested that cricket could introduce random lie-detector tests to catch players who could be involved in match-fixing in any form. Raja’s remarks came after Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah was handed a six-years ban from all cricket-related activites for six years, after he was foundy guilty of ACB’s anti-corruption code.
Speaking in a Youtube vieo, Raja said: “I wish there was an instrument to calculate this intention, just like the temperature taking tools being used for the Covid-19. We could easily red flag players who could go on to become fixers.”
He further added that lie-detector tests can be conducted in the similar manner as dope tests are conducted for players: “A lie-detector test could be used. Just as random samples are taken for dope testing, we should also conduct random lie-detector tests. We should do that in a regular season to find out if players have ever been involved in match-fixing.
“This is an outside-the-box idea,” he said.
“The solution to this problem is very confusing. We have rules, laws, regulations and player education programs but if a player is intent on fixing then no one can stop them,” he said.
“Fixers can usually attack in two important parts of a career. They can attack at the end of someone’s career because they have nothing to lose. They can also attack at the start when a player is starting out because their minds are impressionable at that stage,” he further added.
