LONDON -The International Cricket Council has told Pakistani players tostop wearing smart watches during play to avoid any allegations ofmatch-fixing, bowler Hasan Ali said after the opening day of the first testagainst England on Thursday.
The ICC’s anti-corruption team met the tourists after play at Lord’s andwarned the players against wearing the watches, which are capable oftransmitting text or voice messages and functioning like a phone.
“I didn’t know who was wearing them but yes, the ICC anti-corruptionofficer came to speak to us and they told us this is not allowed,” Hasansaid after Pakistan dominated play, bowling England out for 184 beforereaching 50 for one at the close.STORIES YOU MISSED
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“Next time nobody will wear them.”
The ICC does not allow players to carry communication devices to the fieldand this ban extends to the dressing room as well. Officials are allowedspecific devices to communicate with their colleagues while they performtheir duty.
Local media reports said two Pakistan players were wearing the watches,although there was no suggestion of any wrongdoing as it was not clear ifthe devices were connected to phones.
Match-fixing has become a major concern for the ICC in recent years.
Pakistan’s trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who is inthe current side, were part of a gambling-inspired plot to bowl no-balls atpre-arranged times during a test match against England at Lord’s in August2010.
All three players served time in prison and were handed multi-year bansfrom the game after a tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing.