Calcutta: With the World Cup just months away, efforts to make the mega-event corruption-free have gained momentum as gag orders have been issued to stop Australian curators from giving away information that could aid match-fixing.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, “Curators from around the country were flown to a meeting in New Zealand and told that under strengthening anti-corruption measures, they are no longer permitted to provide detailed information about their pitches before matches.”

The report further added: “They will still be able to talk in general terms, but have been instructed not to offer specifics, such as delving into whether they would advise batting or bowling first or their beliefs on who the pitch might favour.”

The report explains the importance of curators in the modern day game. “Curators at the main grounds have become characters in their own right over the years. Before the first Test of each summer at the Gabba, for instance, Kevin Mitchell jnr and snr have been probed for their wisdom on the wicket they have cultivated and sought out by captains seeking advice on how the pitch will play.”

According to the report, curators’ “private and public utterances” have been restricted so that information about the pitch is not accessible to the media either.

“Traditionally, they are also asked in pre-match media huddles everything from whether the pitch suits pace or spin and have been more than willing to give their opinions.

“Their private and public utterances have been restricted under the guidelines, though, as part of a wider bid to limit the access to pitch information from people seeking to take advantage of it,” the report said.

“With the World Cup in mind, the ICC last year signed a memorandum of understanding with the Australian Federal Police allowing information to be shared between the governing body’s anti-corruption unit and the secretive agency. A similar arrangement is, reports in New Zealand say, to be in place with police across the ditch, where there are six of the 14 World Cup venues,” said the report.

The “pitchsiders” will also be monitored. “There is expected to be a strong focus on so-called ‘pitchsiders’ attempting to take advantage of slight delays in the broadcast of games overseas by transmitting play-by-play data from their seats.

“Victoria Police in January investigated an incident in which a British man was using a laptop while watching a BBL game between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers at Etihad Stadium. And in the latest instance, Fairfax Media reported on Wednesday that two men were ejected from the second Test between Australia and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and questioned about feeding information over mobile phones to illegal bookmakers.”