Twitter off-limits for cricketers

Cricketers at this year’s World Cup one-day tournament have been told to keep their fingers off the Tweet button by the International Cricket Council.

Concerned at the opportunity social media presents for match-fixing messages, the ICC has told players and team officials “no Twitter” during matches. Bookmakers will be forced to return to passing handfuls of used notes to match-fixers in front of hidden TV cameras.

No word has emerged as to whether the ban also includes players’ wives and girlfriends, groupies, friends-of-friends and unpaid hangers-on who just happened to be passing the dressing room while a bowler was ice-packing the hamstring strain officially denied by the team doctor.

ICC media manager James Fitzgerald has told the Associated Press the move is not aimed at particular players. It’s a precaution designed to make sure that no information is passed on that could be used for betting.

Punters will, instead, have to listen to match broadcasts and constrain their bets to those agencies getting free plugs from TV commentators. ®