Survey says Aus players believe spot-fixing an issue

A survey has revealed that a large number of the Australian cricketers believe that spot-fixing still remains a problem in international cricket but they were sure that their domestic game was clean.

The survey was conducted by Inside Cricket magazine in conjunction with the Australian Cricketers' Association.

Out of 110 cricketers, who were approached for the survey, 48 percent thought spot-fixing existed in international cricket.

"However, not one suggested it was a concern for Australia's domestic game," Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell responded angrily to the findings and said that the sport's administrators hadn't done enough to weed out corruption from the game.

"If anyone thinks Pakistan players are the only ones involved in fixing then they're kidding themselves," Chappell wrote for Inside Cricket.

"The cricket officials have done far too little to stamp out corruption, which is a concern in itself. Most, if not all the convictions, have come from other sources -- either the police or newspaper information."

Last year, Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and their cricket agent Mazhar Majeed were given prison terms in London for their roles in spot-fixing during a 2010 Test against England.

Earlier this month, former Essex player Mervyn Westfield had pleaded guilty to agreeing to take money to bowl poorly in a 2009 match between against Durham.

Chappell said Twenty20 cricket officials needed to be vigilant because the entertainment-based nature of the game made it the easiest format to corrupt.

 "Administrators have not got balance right in T20 game between entertainment and sport. The crooks will be delighted the balance is too much in favour of entertainment because they'll feel the public are less likely to be up in arms if they feel a business is being corrupted rather than a game."

According to the survey, 46 percent of respondents were against day-night Test matches and 40 per cent were in favour. 69 percent preferred first-class cricket ahead of T20 (27 percent) and 50 overs (4 percent).

69 percent feared the states' focus on the T20 league threatened the Sheffield Shield's future

82 percent favoured the umpire decision review system.

While the poll was taken before the SCG Test, in which Australian skipper Michael Clarke scored a triple century, the then-besieged Ricky Ponting received a vote of confidence with his peers nominating him the best first-class batsman in Australia (26 per cent), the nation's best fielder (28 percent) and all-time cricket hero (10 per cent).

Even though Queenslander Ryan Harris was acknowledged the fast bowler of the year, Shaun Tait was the one batters feared the most.