The England and Wales Cricket Board has offered an amnesty to players
who report past match-fixing approaches, after an Essex cricketer
admitted to a corruption charge relating to spot-betting in a one-day
game in 2009.
Mervyn Westfield became the first English cricketer
to be guilty of spot-fixing, admitting to accepting or obtaining a
corrupt payment to aid spot betting during a 40-over match against
Durham.
The Old Bailey heard Westfield had agreed to bowl his first over in a way that would let Durham score a set number of runs.
He could face jail when he is sentenced in February and the offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Failure
to report an approach related to corrupt activities is an offence but
the ECB has established a “reporting window” until the end of April.