Isabelle Westbury is a freelance journalist who writes for the SII. Her focus is on politics and sport, especially cricket. She has written for a number of publications including The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Daily Mail and The Sun, and broadcasts on cricket for the BBC. She has an undergraduate degree from Oxford University, where she was President of the Oxford Union, as well as a postgraduate degree in law. She is also Middlesex CCC women’s cricket captain.
All posts by Isabelle Westbury
New President, new FIFA? The election of Gianni Infantino has brought with it hopes of a fresh start for the beleaguered international governing body of football. Yet despite the promises of a clean break, there is much from FIFA’s past that remains to be resolved, not least the whereabouts...
Local newspapers in Belgium are reporting that the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) is the ‘subject of a judicial investigation’ over its financial auditing. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Belgian authorities are investigating possible financial fraud that revolves around the payment of wages and the use of subsidies by the...
West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has been cited for missing three doping tests within a 12-month period, which would constitute a ‘whereabouts failure’ and thereby an anti-doping rule violation under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Code (Article 2.4). If found guilty, Russell risks becoming ineligible from cricket for two...
FIFA bank subpoena: Citigroup Inc. has reportedly become the first major US bank to receive a subpoena in connection with the US Department of Justice investigation into alleged corruption at FIFA. According to the Wall Street Journal, in an annual filing with securities regulators on Friday, the bank said...
On Wednesday The Sports Integrity Initiative revealed that Basketball Australia, the national governing body for the sport, had notified the police of allegations of “inappropriate betting” but said that they were “waiting on the police to complete their enquiries” before investigating the matter further internally. Due to Basketball Australia match-fixing policies,...
Update on the investigations Basketball Australia have confirmed to The Sports Integrity Initiative that an investigation into possible illicit betting in basketball matches is currently in the hands of the police, but at this stage they “don’t have much to say” on the issue, over 10 days after allegations were...
A who’s who guide of the candidates in the 2016 FIFA Presidential election… Prince Ali Al Hussein Nationality: Jordan Age: 40 Betting odds: 12/1 In a nutshell: youngest in the field, considered a nice guy but lacking gravitas Manifesto: My Vision for FIFA and Football (Launched: 7th January...
In November last year The Sports Integrity Initiative published a feature piece probing into the scarcity of women found in the top jobs of sporting administrations, including those in FIFA. Later this month the election for the top job, the President of arguably the most powerful sporting institution in...
• The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has reportedly confirmed that its Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA) had told it that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s office in Barcelona had ‘concluded’ its investigation into allegations that a referee was pressured into making certain decisions during a match between top-flight sides Real Madrid...
The Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) today announced that the former Essex cricketer Mervyn Westfield will be allowed to play Minor Counties and First Class Second XI cricket from the start of this season. The decision follows an appeal by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) on behalf of Westfield who...
The Integrity Unit of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has for the first time officially confirmed that match fixing has occurred in professional Dutch football. The unit’s investigation revealed that Ibrahim Kargbo, who played for the club Willem II, had a meting with match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal...
• Former Test cricket umpire Asad Rauf has told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which banned for five years after being found guilty of corruption charges, had no authority to ban him. According to the PTI, the Pakistani...
Nightmare. A miscarriage of justice. Shocked. Manifestly unfair. A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. A Pandora’s box. The reaction to this morning’s news that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned the AFL tribunal’s acquittal of 34 current and former Essendon players has sent shockwaves though the sporting...
Cairns update: Perjury trial to enter ninth week after jury fails to reach a verdict Monday 23rd – Friday 27th November While Brendon McCullum lead the New Zealand cricket team out onto the pitch in an historic day/night Test in Adelaide, thousands of miles away one of his predecessors, Chris Cairns,...
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” These days Alexander Pope’s oft-quoted quip is applied to all manner of situations; its relevance is universal. Martin Luther-King applied the sentiment to the civil rights movement, as did Nelson Mandela, to an extraordinary degree. Forgiveness is central to most, if not...
