Spinner Shohely banned for 5yr over match-fixing

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed a five-year ban on Bangladesh women’s team spinner Shohely Akhter for violating five provisions of its Anti-Corruption Code.

Despite making her international debut in 2013, Shohely did not get many opportunities in the national team, last playing for Bangladesh in 2022. However, she was found guilty of attempting to fix a match during the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.

Shohely allegedly approached a teammate with a fixing proposal, but the player rejected the offer and reported it to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).

Following an investigation, ICC announced the ban on Tuesday, effective from February 10, 2024. The governing body stated that Shohely breached Articles 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.4.4, and 2.4.7 of its Anti-Corruption Code.

Article 2.1.1 prohibits match-fixing, influencing results through unethical means, and deliberate underperformance. Article 2.1.3 forbids offering, accepting, or attempting to accept bribes to influence match outcomes. Article 2.1.4 covers encouraging or assisting others in corruption-related offenses.

Additionally, Article 2.4.4 mandates that players report any corrupt approaches to the ACU without delay, while Article 2.4.7 penalizes attempts to obstruct or delay an investigation, including hiding or destroying relevant documents.

Though Shohely was not part of Bangladesh’s 2023 T20 World Cup squad, she allegedly sent a fixing proposal to a teammate via phone before a match against Australia, offering a significant sum of money. The approached player promptly reported the incident to the ACU, triggering the investigation.

Shohely Akhter played two ODIs and 13 T20Is for Bangladesh, taking a total of 11 wickets before her last international appearance in 2022.