The Board of Control for Cricket in India is hoping its new code of ethics policy will help towards rooting out corruption, less than a week after a top official claimed the governing body's image "had been tarnished" in the past few years.
The introduction of a code of ethics was confirmed by the board on Sunday, along with a player agent accreditation system, as the BCCI attempts to put various controversies behind it.
Since 2013, Indian cricket has been plunged into a mire of corruption, illegal betting and conflict of interest issues, most notably after three Rajasthan Royals players, including Test bowler Shantha Sreesanth, were banned over allegations of spot-fixing.
BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former International Cricket Council chairman, said: " BCCI is concerned and determined to safeguard its integrity. The Code of Ethics when formed would define important core values for behaviour and conduct within the BCCI.
"It would be a good way of ensuring that administrators and officials refrain from anything that could be harmful to BCCI's aims and objectives.
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"In mid-July this year, following an investigation into the spot-fixing from 2013, an Indian supreme court appointed committee slapped two-year Indian Premier League bans on Rajasthan and Chennai Super Kings over the actions of individuals who had intimate associations with the franchises. The individuals themselves were banned for life.
Last week BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, after confirming an undertaking against conflict of interest would be required to be signed by all those involved in Indian cricket, had said: "We have taken over when there was a great challenge, but I see it as a great challenge.
"In last few years there were certain decisions which were taken for which the board has to pay. I think the image of the board has been tarnished in the past few years.
"But we will try our level best to implement certain things which will take the game of cricket to the next level."
