Cricket is called the gentleman’s game, and the support and love that cricketers get is beyond imagination. After retirement, the players are joining various leagues in a bid to keep their passion alive and also give their fans a chance to see them play once more.

Andy Ephgrave, who is heading the ICC Anti-Corruption unit, has sounded massive concerns over such leagues. In an interview with ESPN, he was asked to speak about the various leagues featuring legends of the game. “It’s a real grey area because a lot of the time they are never actually sanctioned and certainly don’t receive a No Objection Certificate. Domestic boards don’t sanction them, or some do.”

He also added, “But it is a bit of a grey area because a lot of the players who play in them are not in the current framework of cricket. But quite a lot are still iconic names. There is a balance between heritage and wanting to see the guy you watched growing up and the risks around it.”

Apex body of cricket facing challenges

Ephgrave opined on the risk of leagues harming the reputation of the sport. “It could, yeah, but I think there’s also a degree of it being exhibition cricket or festival-style cricket. There was a league that took place in Sri Lanka in 2024 where there were allegations of corruption. I’m not going to sit here and say there’s no risk. But the key is about delineating between what are the official structures of cricket, and ultimately what are retired players, who are still able to produce memories and demonstrate how they can play.”

The chief of ICC’s ACU also mentioned that there have been instances where many have reported approaches for potential corruption. “Historically, anti-corruption was seen as an enforcement arm of cricket, and players were like: well, who’s the person who’s held responsible? Players are vulnerable, and our responsibility is to educate and help them and build confidence and trust. And that’s what our engagement programmes have done.”