FED: Parliament ponders probe into cricket bribes

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-1998
FED: Parliament ponders probe into cricket bribes

By Steve Connolly

CANBERRA, Dec 10 AAP - Australian cricket was today put on notice by federal parliament to
clean up its act following the international uproar over the bookmaker cover-up.

Opposition senators said they could consider staging an inquiry next year if they were
dissatisfied with the Australian Cricket Boards handling of the Mark Waugh/Shane Warne saga.

Waugh and Warne yesterday apologised after admitting they took money from an Indian
bookmaker to provide information about the weather and pitch conditions during Australias
tour of Sri Lanka in 1994.

The ACB fined both players a total of $18,000 in early 1995 but kept the matter secret, a
situation which has proven to be an international embarrassment after Warne and Waughs
bribery allegations against former Pakistan cricket captain Salim Malik.

Australian Democrats sports spokesman Andrew Bartlett said an inquiry could be considered
if parliament, when it resumes in February, believed there were continuing concerns about the
management of Australian cricket and the actions taken against Waugh and Warne.

"If theres still an inadequate response, it may be appropriate for the parliament to have
a look at it," he said in an interview with AAP.

Senator Bartlett said there was obviously great concern that the ACB had not been open and
accountable about two senior players accepting money from an illegal bookmaker.

"Unfortunately, one skeletons been found, what else is there?" he asked.

Senator Bartlett said the Senate had examined controversies previously in Australian soccer
as well as drugs in sport.

A spokesman for Labor sports spokeswoman Kate Lundy agreed that the parliament could step
in if the ACB and the players involved did not divulge more information about the matter.

"Yesterdays press conference raised more questions than it answered," the spokesman said.

A spokesman for federal Sports Minister Jackie Kelly said today it was up to the ACB to
ensure there was never a repeat of the Waugh/Warne situation.

But the spokesman saw no reason for the parliament to intervene unless it was found that
there were corruption issues involved.

The government has no control over cricket, although it funds the Australian Institute of
Sport Cricket Academy in Adelaide.

The Senates last sporting inquiry into Australian soccer in 1995 cleared then national
coach Eddie Thomson and his assistant Les Scheinflug of improperly receiving money from
transfer fees.

That inquiry was set up in response to scathing criticisms of those two coaches and other
officials in a report to Soccer Australia by Justice Donald Stewart.

AAP sc/mfh/was/it

KEYWORD: CRICKET BRIBES PARLY

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