The dreaded plague of match-fixing has hit Bangladesh cricket drastically in recent times. At first, it happened during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) where there were updates of multiple games being suspicious. Just when it seemed like these allegations were dying a slow death, there came a huge controversy recently in a domestic game in Bangladesh with fresh allegations of possible corruption. BCB boss Faruque Ahmed, though, opined that the demons of match fixing have reduced considerably but knows that it is yet to fully eradicated, reports Cricbuzz.
BCB, earlier, announced that they had initiated an investigation after
concerns were raised surrounding the Bashundhara Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2024-25 match between Gulshan Cricket Club and Shinepukur Cricket Club.
"I think fixed games have been reduced significantly in First Division, Second Division and Third Division but it has not stopped totally," Faruque, who was attending a cricket carnival programme to promote the game among the youth organised by Khelbei Bangladesh,
told reporters following the inauguration of the programme.
"If the games are fixed, you cannot get good players because you are asking your best player to score a duck or you will ask your best player to bowl wides and no balls, and not take wickets, so that is not cricket at all," he said.
"I arrived two to three days back (from the ICC meeting) and we have a technical committee and we will do thorough investigation. If we get anything conclusive, definitely we will punish the culprits," he added.
"I returned from the ICC meeting that night, the day Anti Corruption Commission members came to BCB and I am sure they arrived with a specific agenda after receiving complaints regarding specific issues.
I am sure the Board will cooperate fully with them as far as providing papers and documents are concerned," said Faruque. "I have asked the CEO to fulfil all the queries (from the ACC) and he is working on it. I cannot say exactly
how much they will investigate and only time will tell how far they will investigate," he said.
Faruque expressed his gratitude to
the State-owned channel Bangladesh Television who came forward to telecast the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe at a time when the Board was finding it hard to get any broadcasters for the series.
