DUBAI: If India is the financial hub of world cricket; it is also at the centre of illegal betting around the game.
After banning Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan from all forms of cricket for two years (one year suspended), the International Cricket Council (ICC) has released details of the cricketer’s conversation with Indian bookie Deepak Aggarwal.
In a media release, ICC mentioned that Shakib was approached by Aggarwal for the first time during 2017 and since then the cricketer remained in constant touch with Bangladesh’s star all-rounder.
Details of the interviews shared by the ICC:
*During the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in November 2017, Shakib was aware that his telephone number had been provided to Aggarwal by another person who was known to Shakib. Aggarwal had asked this other person to provide him with contacts of players playing in the league.
*In mid-November 2017, at the instigation of Aggarwal, Shakib exchanged various WhatsApp messages with him in which Aggarwal sought to meet him.
*In January 2018, Shakib was part of the Bangladesh team participating in a tri-series which included Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. During this series, he and Aggarwal engaged in further WhatsApp conversations.
On 19 January 2018, he received a WhatsApp message from Aggarwal congratulating him for being named Man of the Match in that day’s game. Aggarwal followed this message with a message saying “do we work in this or I wait til the IPL”.
*The mention of “work” in the message was a reference to Shakib providing inside information to Aggarwal.
* Shakib did not report this contact from Aggarwal to the ACU or any other anti-corruption authority.
*On January 23, 2018, Shakib received another WhatsApp message from Aggarwal in which the latter made another approach to him to provide inside information, saying “Bro anything in this series?”
Shakib confirmed that this message was related to Aggarwal requesting inside information in relation to the ongoing tri-series, which he did not report to the ACU or any other anti-corruption authority.
*On April 26, 2018, Shakib played in an IPL game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab. He received a WhatsApp message from Aggarwal that day asking him whether a particular player was going to be playing in the game that day, i.e. again asking for inside information.
*Aggarwal continued this conversation with him by talking about bitcoins, dollar accounts and asked Shakib for his dollar account details. During this conversation, Shakib told Aggarwal that he wanted to meet him “first”.
*These messages on April 26, 2018 included a number of deleted messages. He confirmed that these deleted messages contained requests from Aggarwal for inside information.
*Shakib told the ICC that he had concerns over Aggarwal, feeling he was a bit “dodgy”, and that, following their conversations, he had the feeling that Aggarwal was a bookie.
*He did not report any of the contact and approaches received from Aggarwal on April 26, 2018 to the ACU or any other anti-corruption authority.
The star Bangladesh all-rounder can return to international cricket only from October 29, 2020, satisfying the conditions in respect of the suspended part of the sanction.
ICC statement in full:
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan from all cricket for two years, with one year of that suspended, after he accepted three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
The charges are as follows:
Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct – in relation to the Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe Tri-Series in January 2018 and / or the 2018 IPL
Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct – in relation to a second approach in respect of the Tri-Series in January 2018
Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct – in relation to an IPL 2018 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kings XI Punjab on 26 April 2018.
Under the provisions of the Code, Mr Al Hasan chose to admit the charges and agreed the sanction with the ICC in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing. Subject to him satisfying the conditions in respect of the suspended part of the sanction, he will be free to resume international cricket on 29 October 2020.
BCB statement in full:
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has noted the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s decision to ban Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan from all cricket for two years, with one year of that suspended, for accepting three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
BCB President Nazmul Hassan, MP said: “While the BCB is shocked and extremely disappointed that an experienced player like Shakib had failed to report corrupt approach on three occasions, at the same time we are pleased that he has cooperated fully with the ICC ACU and has pledged his commitment to its education programme.
“We hope he will come back as a better and wiser cricketer and serve Bangladesh for many more years when his sanction will be over. During the suspension the BCB will continue to support his efforts at returning to cricket.
“The BCB respects the ICC’s decision and shares similar sentiments against corruption in cricket.”
Meanwhile, Shakib has vowed that he will come back stronger. “The way the Bangladesh Cricket board, fans, government and media got behind me is really amazing,” he said. “If the fans, BCB continue to lend their support to me, I will definitely come back strongly in cricket when the ban ends.
“I am sad that I have been banned from a sport that I love the most. But, for not informing about the illegal proposal to ICC and ACSU, I am accepting the punishment.
“ICC and ACSU rely on the cooperation of cricketers to avoid corruption but I could not help the ICC and ACSU properly. Like any other player, I too want cricket to be free from corruption. And to keep the upcoming cricketers away from any corruption, I will work with ACSU as best as I can.”
