ICC franchises have drawn up plans to address ‘significant corruption concerns’ in the tournament

The International Cricket Council is developing plans to address what it calls “significant corruption concerns” at franchise tournaments around the world.

In documentation seen by BBC Sport, the ICC’s integrity unit said there was “growing evidence” that corrupt officials had “infiltrated leagues and players across various member territories”.

The ICC is now planning to form a working group that will try to align franchise cricket within the international calendar and examine how corruption can be tackled more effectively.

The ICC Executive Committee will discuss a number of broader strategies during its ongoing Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Edinburgh as part of steps taken to mitigate concerns.

This includes expanding the scope of when the ICC approves a domestic league, meaning more tournaments will require their approval.

Under current regulations a full member country’s domestic league only requires ICC approval if it has more than four players representing the full member national team within a 24-month period.

The ICC is also considering increasing its powers to step in in leagues where there are integrity concerns that are not being addressed.

Similarly, concerns have been raised about the threat of illegal betting increasing, particularly through franchise league sponsorships.

The ICC notes that this “exposes host members to the risk of benefiting” from illegal betting that carries “increased corruption potential”.