LONDON: An anti-corruption official of International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday approached Pakistan’s cricketers over wearing smartwatches during the game on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s, ordering the players to stop having them on the field.
As per details, an anti-corruption official advised Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq, who appeared wearing smartwatches on the field during England’s innings at the Lord’s Test, not to wear them next time.
According to ICC law, smart watches are prohibited for players and match officials unless they are disabled, meaning they are offline and just used as watches.
These devices are considered phones as they can connect to a cellphone or WiFi or capable of receiving communications such as messages, which are disabled under the ICC’s rules In this instance.
It is pertinent to note that the ICC is entitled to download all the material from the smart watches to monitor activity, as the smart watches can use to guide players to help in a crucial moment.
Last year, the ICC’s anti-corruption unit gained the power to force players to hand over their mobile phones to curb the risk of corruption.
