MCC warned about wisdom of lie detector proposals
THEY are more commonly associated with daytime television and US courtrooms than the genteel world of cricket. But the game’s lawmakers are giving serious consideration to using lie detector tests in their latest bid to wipe out the growing threat of corruption in the sport.
The MCC’s proposal is part of a range of measures that they hope will ensure spot betting scandals, such as the one that dogged Pakistan’s tour of England earlier this year, become a thing of the past.
However, they have been urged to exercise caution by experts who point out the limitations of the technology, which is not deemed reliable enough for British courts.
The MCC said in a statement: “The committee is concerned at the scale of the problem, and the detrimental effect it has placed on the integrity of the game.
“We feel more resources – and increased powers – are required to attempt to eradicate this issue from the game.”
But one expert at Portsmouth University’s psychology department said even the most reliable lie detector tests were only “usually around 80 per cent accurate”. Dr Sharon Leal added: “They [the MCC] are probably thinking of using them as a deterrent. I’d imagine most players wouldn’t want to take a polygraph test.”
There may be practical drawbacks, however. She added: “They are quite lengthy – each test takes about three hours.”