United News of Bangladesh

A group of nine local cricketers has been excluded from the Bangladesh Premier League’s (BPL) final auction list after a series of anti-corruption investigations flagged their involvement in suspected fixing activities in last season’s tournament. The exclusions follow an extensive probe led by the BCB’s three-member independent investigation committee, headed by former Appellate Division judge Mirza Hussain Haider. The committee examined alleged irregularities from the previous BPL and identified nine Bangladeshi and one foreign player as suspects. Their names were forwarded for further inquiry by Alex Marshall, the BCB’s anti-corruption consultant and former ICC anti-corruption chief. Read more: BCB finalizes 5 franchises for upcoming BPL season Based on Marshall’s findings, the BPL governing council removed nine locally contracted players from the final auction pool. Most had already appeared in the preliminary list but were omitted when the final roll was released on the eve of this year’s auction. The suspected group includes several players with previous national-team experience and multiple domestic regulars. Among them are personnel noted as “red-flagged” by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit. While not all were accused of direct fixing, their activities and access patterns raised concerns within the investigative review. Read more: Sameer Quader says ‘46 crore’ claim makes no sense, keeps BPL door open The governing council has instructed franchises not to involve any red-flagged personnel in team operations this season. Those named in suspicion will not be allowed in team areas, dressing rooms, or other restricted spaces. While the barred players may continue participating in other domestic competitions, they will not feature in this BPL. The 12th BPL auction is scheduled on Sunday (November 30) at a Dhaka hotel. Read more: BPL drops players linked to fixing allegations from final auction list

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL),  the country’s most lucrative domestic cricket event, will not be held in 2021.