‘It hasn’t stopped entirely,’ says BCB President Ahmed on match-fixing

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed. — AFP

BANGLADESH: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed has acknowledged that while match-fixing has ‘reduced significantly’ in domestic cricket, it has not been completely eradicated. Bangladesh cricket was rocked by another controversy after a bizarre stumping dismissal during Dhaka Premier League (DPL) gave rise to concerns surrounding match-fixing.

The incident occurred during Wednesday’s DPL match between Shinepukur Cricket Club and Gulshan Cricket Club. The former team needed seven runs in as many overs with one wicket in hand when their batter Minhajul Abedin advanced down the ground before leaving a wide ball, eventually getting stumped by the wicketkeeper.

Slow-motion replays showed that Abedin initially attempted to make his ground but pulled his bat away and grounded it outside the crease. The video of the bizarre stumping dismissal has since been going viral on social media with fans suspecting it to be a case of alleged match fixing.

The dismissal had caught the attention of the BCB, which announced to launch an investigation, reiterating its zero-tolerance policy toward any form of misconduct or corruption.

Meanwhile, as per the latest development, BCB President Ahmed made a massive assertion, claiming that match-fixing has significantly reduced in domestic competitions, especially in first, second and third divisions.

“Fixed matches have decreased considerably in the First, Second, and Third Divisions, but it hasn’t stopped entirely,” Faruque told reporters on Saturday. “If games are manipulated, you cannot develop quality players—imagine instructing your best batter to get out for zero or your top bowler to deliver wides and no-balls.

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