Top News

In shocking news, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has grabbed another spotlight for being in the news lately for the wrong reasons. The tournament has already been dealing with a major crisis, and now, adding to it, they have been slapped with shocking match-fixing allegations by the Bangladesh investigation committee. 

A recent investigation revealed that several teams and players were involved in match-fixing in last season’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The findings have seriously pointed out the integrity of the league. 

Also Read: Bangladesh Face Fitness Concerns as Mustafizur, Taskin Struggle Ahead of Asia Cup

According to a report by Prothom Alo, it has been revealed that the BPL investigation committee found 36 unusual events in the last season. These events were linked to suspicious batting and bowling patterns in the league. The investigation has flagged 10-12 cricketers involved in these matters, including two current Bangladesh internationals, a pacer and an off-spinner. Some domestic Bangladesh players were also found to be bowling deliberate wides and questionable deliveries to change the match outcome. 

The investigation has categorised players on the basis of the strength of the evidence against them. Three to four players were marked ‘highly flagged’ with strong evidence linked to them to direct misleading practices. Others were linked with ‘medium or low flagged’, which means the evidence was not enough to make them a victim. 

The report also revealed that a member of the BCB sub-committee helped arrange deals with franchises. Moreover, officials from Durbar Rajshahi, Sylhet Strikers, and Dhaka Capitals admitted to their roles in fixing.

Many people questioned why the preliminary report was released, but Committee member Khaled H Chowdhury explained that it was necessary to share early findings before the new BPL season begins. 

The probe recommended that all accused players and officials should be banned from cricket until their innocence is proved. Some TV channels were also involved, allegedly earning 170-180 crores from illegal betting advertisements during the league. This incident has put the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) under the spotlight, demanding strict actions and new reforms for the league before the new season.