The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Tuesday seven people have been charged with match-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League in a scandal that has already ensnared national hero Mohammad Ashraful.
It said another two people including, a Sri Lanka spinner who has previously represented the country, have been charged with failing to report corruption when they were approached to take part in fixing during the 2013 season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 tournament.
The player, who is currently playing in the Super 4’s T20 tournament, was reportedly approached by bookies with money, but he had turned down the offer. However he had not reported that approach to authorities, which in itself is an offence under the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) anti-corruption code, and all eight players face a disciplinary tribunal hearing.
The player had been called for an inquiry by Sri Lanka Cricket at the behest of the ICC, media reported, where the player confirmed that he had turned down an offer.
“The charges relate to an alleged conspiracy within the Dhaka Gladiators franchise to engage in match-fixing and spot-fixing activity during matches in the BPL 2013, as well as failures by individuals to report approaches made to them to be involved in the conspiracy,” the ICC said.
