ICC probes match-fixing in Bangladesh

Anti-corruption unit investigating allegations regarding BPL match.

DHAKA: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is probing allegations of match-fixing in Bangladesh cricket with former national captain Mohammad Ashraful among those being questioned, local officials said.

ICC anti-corruption inspectors were investigating allegations of wrongdoing during a match in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a spokesman for the Bangladesh Cricket Board said.

“The allegations involve a match between Dhaka Gladiators and Chittagong Kings in the second edition of the BPL,” spokesman Jalal Yunus told AFP.

The allegations are the latest to hit Bangladesh cricket including the BPL.

Indian cricket is embroiled in its own scandal involving alleged betting and spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League season. Cricket’s world governing body confirmed that a probe by its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) was under way in Bangladesh.

“The ACSU is looking into allegations about the Bangladesh Premier League,” said an ICC spokesman. As the investigations are ongoing and to ensure the process is not jeopardised, we cannot share any further details at this stage.”

Local media reported that 28-year-old Gladiators star Ashraful was allegedly paid about $12,800 to lose the February 2 match, but the cheque he was given later bounced. The big-hitting batsman was also allegedly involved in fixing another match 10 days later, against the Barisal Burners, which his team lost by seven wickets, the reports by English-language daily New Age and several Bengali newspapers said.

Ashraful, who became the country’s youngest Test centurion in 2001 at the age of 17 and captained Bangladesh between 2007 and 2009, confirmed that he had spoken with investigators.

“The matter is under ACSU investigation. They called me. I answered what they wanted to know,” said Ashraful.

ICC cricket committee issues Test warning

On a separate note, the ICC cricket committee said countries could risk losing their Test status unless they played a ‘minimum number of Test matches over a four-year period’.

In a statement issued after it concluded its two-day meeting at Lord’s, the committee, chaired for the first time by former India captain Anil Kumble and featuring ex-England skipper Andrew Strauss, said it was concerned by several recent examples of Test matches being postponed to make way for one-day games.

The committee said Test cricket needed support if it was to retain its place at the pinnacle of cricket.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2013.