Cricket may be temporarily on hold, but the ICC have warned the players to beware of known match-fixers who continue to prey.

Mainstream cricket has come to halt the world over, and with many countries in lockdown to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, players have increasingly taken to social media to pass time.

However, the ICC’s head of the anti-corruption unit Alex Marshall has served a warning, saying known corrupters are still on the prowl, attempting to establish relations with players on social media.

“Covid-19 may have put a temporary stop on the playing of international and domestic cricket around the world but the corrupters are still active,” Marshall told the Guardian.

“As a result, our work with members, players, player associations and agents continues. We are seeing known corrupters use this time, when players are on social media more than ever, to connect with them and try to build a relationship that they can exploit at a later date.

“We have reached out to our members, players and their wider networks to highlight this issue and ensure they all continue to be aware of the dangers of approaches and do not let their guard down while there is no cricket being played.”

ICYMI: Two Indian cricketers have been arrested for alleged spot-fixing. @aadya_sh examines the charges and what it means for the game as a whole in India.https://t.co/UrXVzBMibS

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 9, 2019

With cricket taking an economic hit as well, the fear is that players may be more vulnerable to attempts from fixers, and that is something that has not escaped the authorities.

“There will always be someone to make something out of a crisis and view it as an opportunity,” James Pyemont, ECB’s head of integrity, said in the report. “We have to be confident we can withstand that pressure and we’re confident our players will do the right thing. The time is now to show this is a robust system.”