The forthcoming Dhaka Premier League will be under more scrutiny than ever in the aftermath of the recent match-fixing scandal that has rocked Bangladesh’s cricket, said the officials of Bangladesh Cricket Board on Wednesday. The DPL is widely blamed for match-fixing in local cricket, though it has hardly any link with international betting syndicate which mainly lures the players and officials into corrupt practice.
While the officials did not rule out a financial dealing between the clubs for such match-fixing in the country’s most prestigious one-day competition, they added that it is more often related to strategic reason, which is not illegal if not unethical.
With the DPL making its debut as a List A competition, the BCB officials, however, said they cannot afford to sit idle and watch the teams gifting points to each other in the name of strategic reason.
It will be the first Dhaka Premier League since the BCB approved its anti-corruption code on October 1, 2012, bringing the league under further scrutiny, said the officials.
‘As per the anti-corruption guidelines, we have to monitor all domestic competitions now and the Dhaka league should not be an exception,’ said Jalal Yunus, chairman of the cricket committee of Dhaka Metropolis.
‘In my 35-year experience as player and organiser I have not seen any serious match-fixing attempt in the league,’ said Yunus, also an Abahani official. ‘But yes, teams gave up points for strategic reasons. Whatever it is, we have to remain careful.’
BCB’s chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury said they will undertake some educational training programme for the players of different clubs and will also engage some officials to monitor the games.
‘We will take several measures to keep the game out of all evils,’ Nizamuddin told New Age. ‘We will conduct some educational programmes before the league starts and the programmes will be coordinated by individuals who have vast knowledge in this regard.’
Nizamuddin, however, was unable to provide any details about the officials that are to be involved for monitoring the matches. It is, however, unlikely that the BCB will engage any agency like the ICC anti-corruption and security unit, which opened the Pandora’s Box following a massive investigation into the corruption allegations in the Bangladesh Premier League.
The owners of BPL franchise Dhaka Gladiators are among the nine accused for corruption, which some players said is a message for them ahead of the league, a competition equally intense as the BPL.
‘In Dhaka league it is often the clubs which mainly encourage players for under-performing,’ said a cricketer, asking not to be named. ‘I just hope the players will take their lesson and will deny if any such request is made. Otherwise it can easily ruin his career like what happened to some players in the BPL.’
No club has ever been punished for match-fixing in the top local cricket competition, though there are some examples in other sports. In the 2010-11 season, the Bangladesh Football Federation had fined both Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society for what it said playing a ‘compromise’ match.
Last year, a football match between Brothers Union and Abahani Limited was also investigated by the BFF though no action could be taken for lack of sufficient proof.
Jamal, Brothers and Abahani are also participating in the Dhaka Premier League cricket which underlines the need for more serious scrutiny to keep the devils away, said the players and organisers.
-With New Age input
