The disciplinary committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Friday, banned Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf for five years on charges of “corruption” and “misconduct” in relation to the Indian Premier League betting and spot-fixing scandal of 2013.
Rauf was named in the Mumbai Police’s chargesheet after he left India when the scandal came to light three years ago.
The disciplinary committee, which met here on Friday, found Rauf guilty of corruption and misconduct under articles 2.2.2, 2.3.2, 2.3.3 and 2.4.1 of the BCCI’s anti-corruption code.
Rauf, who did not appear before the committee but sent his preliminary submission on January 15 and a written statement responding to the allegations on February 8, will not be allowed to take part in any activity of the BCCI or its affiliates.
Rauf was found in violation of four clauses of the anti-corruption code. In brief, they are “soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, facilitating or authorising any other party to enter into a bet…”, “disclosing inside information to any person with or without reward before or during any match…”, “soliciting… any participant to commit an offence under any of the aforementioned provisions of Article 2.3…”, and “providing or receiving any gift, payment or other benefit (whether of a monetary value or otherwise) in circumstances that the participant might reasonably have expected could bring him/her or the sport of cricket into disrepute.”
After leaving India in 2013, Rauf denied the allegations of corruption made against him. He was subsequently sacked by the International Cricket Council, his employer since 2000.
An experienced umpire, Rauf, who was part of the Elite Panel from 2006 to 2013, officiated in 49 Tests, 98 ODIs and 23 T20Is.