The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced action against eight individuals accused of attempting to corrupt the integrity of matches. Acting on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board, the ICC said the players and officials are guilty of violating the ECB Anti-Corruption Code during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League.
According to investigations, the players and officials are guilty of attempting to corrupt matches in the tournament. The code breaches allegedly occurred between November 19 and December 4, 2021.
The ICC has been appointed the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (DACO) to implement the ECB's code. Consequently, the council will take charge and level the accusations on behalf of the ECB.
The accused individuals have been charged with multiple offenses. These include not informing the DACO of corrupt behavior by another individual and obstructing or delaying a DACO inquiry. In addition, some officials are guilty of gambling on international and domestic matches.
According to the rules, professional players cannot wager on cricket games at any betting site. This also applies to most other professional sports.
Below are the individuals who could face sanctions from the cricket governing body:
Nasir Hossain, a professional player from Bangladesh, is accused of not reporting to the DACO after receiving a gift worth over $750. Shadab Ahamed, a team manager, is also charged with not cooperating with the DACO's inquiry. Other charges involve any involvement in attempts to manipulate or fix matches or parts of games, as well as offering rewards to others in exchange for participating in corrupt conduct.
The six accused have been given temporary suspensions following the issuing of the charges. They have until September 19, 2023 to file an appeal.
This event clearly indicates the enormous challenge of maintaining honesty in cricket and the need for reliable anti-corruption protocols and systems to protect the soul of the sport. In 2017, the body launched investigations in Sri Lanka over corruption and match-fixing allegations. The International Cricket Council also opened a probe in 2014 after a corruption leak in New Zealand.
