The performance of the Bangladesh team in the World Cup in Australia has kept the whole nation busy but in the mean time in a shocking revelation the local cricket has yet again been struck by fears of match-fixing.
Khulna Divisional Sports Association (KDSA) yesterday lodged a written complaint to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) accusing Rangpur of match fixing against Dhaka Metro who apparently lost deliberately in the last game of the 16th National Cricket League.
The NCL first-class tournament has often been dubbed as “lackluster” and cricketers were termed as taking the annual event as a “picnic” but the latest accusations involving one of the major team Dhaka are simply disgraceful.
Khulna and Rangpur, along with Dhaka division, entered the last round matches tied on 96 points. Khulna defeated Chittagong inside three days by an innings and 24 runs and earned 24 points to end with a total 120 points. However, Rangpur literally snatched the title away as they achieved 121 points by bowling Metro out in the penultimate over of the day.
Khulna team manager Mostafizur Rahman accompanied by few other KDSA officials visited the BCB yesterday and submitted their allegation to the BCB tournament committee and disciplinary committee where they claimed the players of the Metro side threw the game away intentionally. The KDSA officials also submitted a “35-minute voice recording” as an evidence to their claim.
Dhaka Tribune obtained a copy of the voice recording where at least five persons are heard discussing on how to stop the Metro players from conceding the result. It is understood that the discussion was between Khulna and Dhaka Metro officials and took place on the night before the final day of the game between Rangpur and Dhaka Metro at BKSP-2 on Thursday, March 12.
The Dhaka Metro side is captained by discarded national batsman Marshal Ayub. Other players are Saykat Ali, Shadman Islam, Mehedi Maruf, Shamsur Rahman, Asif Ahmed, Sharif Ullah, Jabid Hossain, Asif Hasan, Elias Sunny, Shohid Abu Haydar, Md Sohag Reza, Mehrab Hossain Jr, SK Waliul Karim Rony, Sk Ashiquzzaman and Moinul Islam Sohel. Former Bangladesh national cricketers Hannan Sarkar and Mehrab Hossain Opee are the two coaches for the team.