ICC bans accused cricketer with Nasir for 17.5 years

UK-based club cricketer Rizwan Javed has been banned from all cricket for 17 and a half years after he was found guilty of five different breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code for Participants (the ‘Code’).

Rizwan was among eight players and officials – including Bangladeshi all-rounder Nasir Hossain who was earlier banned for two years – charged by the ICC on behalf of the ECB (in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the Code) in September last year in relation to the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League and attempts to corrupt matches in that tournament, which attempts were disrupted.

Michael J Beloff KC, Chair of the ICC Code of Conduct Committee (acting as the ECB’s Disciplinary Panel), came to the decision after Rizwan failed to respond to the charges and was therefore deemed to have admitted that he has committed the offences charged, to have waived his right to a hearing and to have acceded to the imposition of a sanction.

Rizwan was found guilty of:

Article 2.1.1 – Being party to an attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly matches or aspects of matches in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021 (on three separate occasions).

Article 2.1.3 – Offering a Reward to another Participant in exchange for that player engaging in Corrupt Conduct.

Article 2.1.4 – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1 (on three separate occasions).

Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the DACO full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

Article 2.4.6 – Failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the DACO in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

Rizwan’s ban is backdated to 19 September 2023, the date he was provisionally suspended.

ICC General Manager Integrity, Alex Marshall, said: “Rizwan Javed has received a lengthy ban from cricket for his repeated and serious attempts to corrupt professional cricketers.

He has shown no remorse and no respect for the rules that are in place to protect our sport.

The sanction imposed should send a strong message to other corrupters trying to target cricket at any level and demonstrates that any attempt to corrupt cricket will be strongly dealt with.