Match Fixing & Misconduct

Bangladesh Premier League Fixing Scandals

10 November 2017Various BPL franchisesBPL 2013 and 2017 seasons1 min readSeverity: Serious

Summary

Multiple fixing scandals hit the Bangladesh Premier League, with several players including former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful banned for involvement in match fixing.

What Happened

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has been plagued by multiple fixing scandals since its inception. The most prominent case involved former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, who in 2014 admitted to fixing matches during BPL 2013. Ashraful, who had been Bangladesh's youngest Test centurion at 17, confessed to fixing matches while playing for Dhaka Gladiators.

Ashraful admitted he had been approached by a bookie and had agreed to underperform in matches. He received an eight-year ban from the BCB, later reduced to five years on appeal. Several other players were also banned in connection with the same scandal, and the Dhaka Gladiators franchise was expelled from the BPL.

The 2017 season saw further controversy when the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit was called in to investigate suspicious activity. Several domestic Bangladeshi players were questioned about approaches from bookmakers. The league's vulnerability to corruption was attributed to its relatively low player payments, weak governance, and the prevalence of betting syndicates in the region.

The BPL fixing scandals damaged the reputation of Bangladeshi cricket and raised questions about the viability of T20 leagues in countries where anti-corruption infrastructure was inadequate. The BCB implemented stronger anti-corruption measures in subsequent seasons, but the league continued to face scrutiny.

⚖️ The Verdict

Ashraful banned for 8 years (reduced to 5). Dhaka Gladiators franchise expelled. Multiple other players banned.

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