Daily Times

LAHORE: The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption unit (ACU) has told Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam to not wear smart watches during matches as doing so is prohibited under the Player and Match Officials Area (PMOA) Regulations. The duo was seen sporting wearable gadgets on day one of Pakistan’s opening Test against England despite clear ICC rules in this regard. They were given the directives by the officials of the governing body’s ACU following the end of day’s play; Pakistan Cricket Board’s ACU officials were also present during the meeting.

“Communications devices are prohibited within the PMOA and no player is allowed to be in possession of or use a communications device which is connected to the internet whilst there,” the ICC stated in a press release on Friday. “Smart watches in any way connected to a phone or WI-FI or in any way capable of receiving communications are not allowed and as such we will be reminding players that such devices must be surrendered along with.” Such devices are not expressly prohibited by the ICC but they have to be disabled in order to comply with anti-corruption regulations. In a bid to combat financial malpractice in cricket, players and match officials must hand over their mobile phones – and other devices capable of electronic transmission – before play to the appointed ICC anti-corruption officer present at every major international match. The devices are returned after stumps.

“I didn’t know earlier that anyone was wearing one (a smart watch),” Pakistan’s Hasan Ali, who took four for 51, told reporters following the close of play. “But yes, an ICC anti-corruption officer came to us and told us this is not allowed. So next time nobody will wear them.”

An ICC spokesman said: “Apple watches in any way connected to a phone/WiFi or in any way capable of receiving comms (communications) such as messages, are not allowed. In effect, it is considered a phone unless ‘disabled’ and just a watch.”

As well as telling the time, such watches, when disabled, are also used for the equally legitimate purpose of recording fitness data. Lord’s was the venue where three Pakistan players, including Mohammad Amir, who is playing in this match, were involved in a spot-fixing scandal during a 2010 Test against England. That led an English court to sentence Amir, fellow pace bowler Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, Pakistan’s captain in that match, to jail terms, with the trio also given five-year worldwide bans from cricket by the ICC.

Published in Daily Times, May 26^th 2018.