Melbourne, Nov. 5 (ANI): Australian states are expected to agree to a tough national policy on match-fixing, but extradition law looms as a major challenge in the effort to crack down on the problem.
Attorneys-general and justice ministers from the states, territories and Commonwealth will meet later this month after federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib sought national legislation on fixing, The Age reports.
The deterrents involved could well be major. An inquiry by the NSW Law Reform Commission suggested a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Such penalties would be a strong weapon against a crime, which is again in the headlines after the conviction of three Pakistan cricketers and a player agent in London.
However, given the global nature of sport and the large number of betting rings, there are concerns other countries will not come to the table.
Hayden Opie, director of studies at Melbourne University's sports law program, suggests a trial could be difficult in the hypothetical case of a cricket match on Australian soil over which Pakistan-based bookmakers are suspected of fixing.
Australia has no extradition treaty with Pakistan or India, although the government does not need a treaty with a country to make a request.
Opie called for more international cooperation between countries on fixing, citing the example of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which was formed in 1999.
"If you're going to be serious about it, there has to be international cooperation," he said. (ANI)
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