Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan said on Monday that the International Cricket Council will investigate the alleged involvement of Bangladeshi
players in match-fixing or spot-fixing during international matches.
The name of former national skippers Khaled Mahmud and Khaled Mashud along with former left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique hit the headlines recently after it was alleged that they introduced Ashraful with the bookies.
‘Allegations of match-fixing in some international matches by Bangladeshi players will be investigated through ICC,’ said BCB president Nazmul Hasan on Monday. ‘The BCB has nothing to do with it as it is a matter beyond our jurisdiction.’
It was reported that Ashraful had confessed to the Anti Corruption and Security Unit of ICC to have committed spot-fixing wearing the jersey of the Tigers during Bangladesh’s 100th ODI against India in 2004.
ACSU was called by the BCB during the Bangladesh Premier League to prevent the game from match-fixing and spot-fixing.
While carrying out the interrogation, the names of the trio came up after Ashraful had confessed to the ACSU members during the investigation about their involvement in match-fixing.
Their term and reference is only related to the BPL and the international matches are under the jurisdiction of the ICC, said the BCB president.
‘It is quite similar to the ban received by the Pakistani players a couple of years ago. They were banned by the ICC for spot-fixing and not by the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board],’ said Nazmul.
Though Bangladesh won their 100th one-day international match, their first ever one-day victory on home soil, Ashraful made his entrance into the world of darkness through that match by accepting the offer of scoring 60 runs in the first 15 overs (the Tigers actually put on 61 in 15 overs).
He reportedly received Tk 4.5 lakh for playing his part by scoring a 41-ball 28.
Later in 2009, it is alleged that Mahmud and Rafique had introduced Ashraful to Sunil Bhatia of India for spot-fixing against India in a Test match for which he received Tk 7 lakh, though he returned the entire amount later because the script did not go the way it was planned.
A story emerged that Ashraful had received a handsome amount from a bookie called Gandhi for his involvement in spot-fixing in the Sri Lankan Premier League and in the Twenty20 World Cup.
Gandhi, who was introduced to Ashraful in 2007, reportedly paid him $10,000 for scoring 14 runs in between the 7th and 9th overs in the SLPL despite failing to do the job.
But Ashraful repaid him in the ICC World Twenty20 when he was assigned to score less than 10 runs in the fifth and sixth overs and after managing to score eight, he received Tk 25 lakh.
The BCB said there will be no bar for others to participate in cricketing activities unlike Ashraful who was banned until further notice.
-With New Age input
