How the desk reviews its own work.
A note on the desk’s review process — what gets reviewed before publication, what gets reviewed after, and how corrections are handled when something slips through.
Before publication
Every route passes through three gates.
1. Source check
Every fact in a route — venue, role, player name, captain pick — is traced back to a primary source. The primary source is cited in the editor’s working notes.
2. Two-source cross-check
Role assignments, venue records, and squad announcements are cross-checked across at least two independent sources before publication.
3. Timestamp
Every published route carries a verification timestamp. Routes are re-verified within ten minutes of confirmed playing XIs and again at the toss.
After publication
The post-publication review runs continuously through the matchday window.
| Trigger | Action | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed XI released | Re-verify captain and vice-captain picks | 10 minutes |
| Toss | Re-verify the toss variable in predictions | 10 minutes |
| Weather change | Re-verify venue reads | 15 minutes |
| Reader correction | Investigate, correct if confirmed, publish notice | 24 hours |
How corrections are handled
When a reader or a desk member spots an error, the desk follows the same four steps.
Investigate
The desk opens a corrections ticket and reads the cited primary sources. The investigation log is internal; the conclusion is published.
Confirm
If the error is confirmed, the desk names the original claim, the corrected claim, and the source that triggered the correction.
Publish
The correction appears at the top of the affected route within 24 hours. Corrections are not buried in footnotes.
Update the source record
The source record is updated so the same error does not reappear in the next edition.
See the desk’s commitments.
Open the about page for the editorial commitments, or contact customer care with a verification question.