Bangladesh's former cricketer Shohely Akhter has been banned from all forms of cricket for five years due to corruption charges. She is the first female cricketer to receive such a ban.
Akhter, an offspinner who played two ODIs and 13 T20Is, was found guilty of attempting to fix a match, offering a bribe, and hiding details from the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). She also obstructed the investigation.
The case revolves around an incident during the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa. Although Akhter was not part of Bangladesh’s squad for the tournament, she approached a Bangladesh player on February 14, the day of their match against Australia.
She offered 2 million Bangladeshi Taka (about USD 16,400) to the player to get out by hitting their own wicket.
The player immediately reported the offer to the ACU, providing voice messages from Akhter as evidence. Akhter had deleted those messages from her devices, but the ACU was able to retrieve them. When questioned, she admitted to sending the messages but initially claimed it was only to prove that Bangladesh players were not involved in fixing. She also showed the ACU screenshots of conversations with a friend, but an investigation revealed that these messages were created after February 14, proving she had tampered with evidence.
Considering the case details, Akhter agreed to the five-year ban, avoiding a formal hearing. The ICC determined this punishment was fair and final, meaning neither Akhter nor the ICC can appeal the decision.
The ACU typically does not disclose information on cases unless charges are filed. While there have been past investigations into women's cricket, this is the first time a case has led to a confirmed ban for corruption.
Updated on 12 February, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.