The International Cricket Council should consider a proposal to compel players suspected of match-fixing to hand over their mobile phones, according to Sir Ronnie Flanagan.
Flanagan, head of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, has claimed extra powers are required as match-fixers develop new ways to avoid detection.
At present players hand over their mobile phones before play, but Flanagan fears that is not enough with potential illegal activity occurring on the dark web and social networks such as WhatsApp and Snapchat.
"There is no ground for complacency whatever," Flanagan said in quotes reported in the Guardian.
"These corruptors have demonstrated their ingenuity and determination to keep trying to get at players and match officials and therefore we must be continually active in thwarting their intentions.
"We are constantly exploring how they attempt to communicate with players - including the use of various social media networks, WhatsApp, Snapchat and the dark web - and we have to keep ahead of these things."
Flanagan has reportedly already held informal discussion with the ICC, but admits opening up measures that would allow the ICC to download information from the phones of international cricketers would also need to be backed by the player unions.
"Seeking the ability to take the devices and download them to see what communications had been made upon them, like tennis does already, is something I would only contemplate after getting the board's approval and after consultation with the players unions," he added.
"People often suggest we should do more things which would tend to make us more like a police force. But we have only the powers vested in us that the international board gives us.
"They give us those powers after consultation with the players and I think that's absolutely right."
Source: PA
