The International Cricket Council is looking into allegations that France Cricket staged sham matches to boost its image as a supporter of women's cricket and attract financial backing.
According to French media, France Cricket has been caught manipulating match results.
France24 was initially contacted by former France women's international and board member Tracy Rodriguez, who claimed to have attended games only to find out that they were never held.
"Two or three times I [went] there, people were having picnics and kids cycling around at the time of the game," Rodriquez said to France24.
"Then the day after, I would see the results of the games online."
In June of 2021, Rodriguez was elected to the France Cricket Board, where she was met with derision whenever she brought up the topic of women's matches. In February of 2023, she decided to quit her job.
According to France24's investigation, a men's U19 semi-final was actually played on the pitch that was supposed to host a women's second-division match between the Paris Knight Riders and Saint-Omer.
The women's game was cancelled after the semi-final completed, which was around 3.30 p.m. France Cricket, however, announced on their website three days later that the match had really taken place.
When asked about the match, both the Paris Knight Riders and the Saint-Omer provided conflicting accounts: one team said the game went on as planned, while the other insisted the venue was changed at the last minute.
France24 also received a phone call from a spokesperson at France Cricket urging not to contact the clubs directly.
According to Sky Sports News, the ICC has confirmed that it is looking into these claims.
