Bangladesh cricketer Shohely Akhter has been banned from all forms of cricket for five years after admitting to five violations of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code. Akhter, who was not playing in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, approached a Bangladeshi teammate and offered her £13,000 ($16,000) to get out by being hit wicket during a match. The player reported the incident, and Akhter was later found guilty.
Najmul Abedin Fahim, director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and head of the women’s cricket division, described Akhter’s actions as “unfortunate” and emphasized their strict stance against corruption in the sport. “We have zero tolerance for this and are working hard to prevent any fixing in Bangladesh cricket,” Fahim added.
Akhter, a 36-year-old spinner, has represented Bangladesh in 13 T20 matches and two One-Day Internationals, with her last appearance in 2022. In addition to offering the bribe, she also admitted to obstructing the investigation into her actions.