The cricketing world was on Tuesday rocked by yet another fixing scandal with former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful being suspended for corruption, adding another sordid chapter to the spot-fixing saga, which has already engulfed Indian cricket.
“As Ashraful has confessed his involvement in fixing to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) team, so he should not be allowed to play any level of cricket until we get a full report of the investigation,” Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan told reporters.
“I have spoken with Ashraful, he told me that he has confessed everything to the ASCU,” Hassan said.
“This is not punishment; this is a temporary measure until we get the full report. We have to take exemplary punishment for such acts, otherwise cricket in Bangladesh will be doomed,” he said.
Ashraful apologises
“I should have not done this injustice to the nation. I feel guilty. I would only say ‘Please all forgive me, my conduct was improper’,” Ashraful told a TV channel.
“I felt that I have done an injustice, so I have told them (the ACSU team) the truth at the first chance. I tried to help the ICC as much as I could for the welfare of our cricket,” Ashraful said.
“You all know me, I have been playing international cricket for 12 years. I did not tell them a single lie,” he added.
The ACSU has been probing allegations of match-fixing during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 competition.
During the ACSU’s probe, the officials suspected many of the matches in the league were not clean, Hassan said.
“This is no more limited to the BPL. The ICC itself will launch a full-fledged massive investigation into those allegations,” he said.
The alleged fixing involves a match between the Dhaka Gladiators and the Chittagong Kings teams during the second edition of the BPL.
Ashraful was allegedly paid about one million taka (USD 12,800) to lose the February 2 match, but the cheque he was given later bounced, according to the local media.
He was also allegedly involved in fixing another match 10 days later, against the Barisal Burners, which his team lost by seven wickets, the reports said.
