Corruption claim deepens BD cricket crisis after strike: Saber

FE Team | Published: October 22, 2019 23:21:18

Former BCB president Saber Hossain Chowdhury — File Photo

A former Bangladesh cricket chief said on Tuesday that match fixing was widespread in the country, deepening a crisis sparked by a strike by top players over wages, reports AFP.
Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Saber Hossain Chowdhury, a British-educated lawyer, businessman and now member of parliament, said corruption was deep-rooted at the governing body.
"@BCBtigers is only national sporting body in the world that promotes institutionalised #matchfixing, #corruption," he said on his Twitter account, adding: "Unbelievable!!"
"Flagged this issue many times myself," he said.
National captain Shakib Al Hasan raised concerns about corruption in domestic cricket on Monday when announcing that most of the country's professional players had started a strike to press for better pay and benefits.
The stoppage threatens a Bangladesh tour of India next month.
The strike comes amid growing criticism of the BCB from cricketers who say the governing body is not sharing enough of its growing wealth.
Local cricketers want Bangladesh players and coaches to be paid more in line with foreign hires.
They have demanded a 50 per cent pay hike for first-class players, the expansion of national pay contracts, increased match fees in domestic games and better benefits for support staff.
Allegations of match fixing and corruption in Bangladesh cricket are not new, and in 2014 the entire Bangladesh Premier League T20 contest was suspended under a graft cloud.