Sports
Shohely Akhter denies spot-fixing allegations
On February 15, 2023, Bangladesh cricket was rocked by spot-fixing allegations in the backdrop of national cricketer Shohely Akhter having reportedly made an offer to her team-mate Lata Mondal to spot-fix, who in turn rejected it and communicated to Bangladesh Cricket Board about the same. Mondal is currently playing the T20 World Cup in South Africa.
Subsequently, BCB confirmed to Cricbuzz that they have informed the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) about it. Shohely, however, has denied the allegation, adding that it was a case of miscommunication.
During an exclusive chat with Cricbuzz, the off-spinner claimed that she is paying the price for trying to prove to a suspected bookie that her national team-mates would not accept any offer to fix matches. She has played 2 ODIs and 13 T20Is so far for Bangladesh.
Here are the excerpts:
Do you know there are spot-fixing allegations against you?
Yes, I am aware of it.
Can you just explain what exactly happened?
Yesterday, Jamuna TV called me and I said what is true. But as they cut my words, it became difficult to explain what I was saying. They asked me whether I can make contact with a player and a bookie and I said no. They later said that they have revealed Shakib Al Hasan’s fixing issue (of not informing the ACU).
Later they asked me whether I approached any national cricketer and I told the truth. Two days back, I met one Facebook friend and he told me, ‘Apu you lost to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup and again here, you lost to Sri Lanka in the World Cup. I feel that your players are involved in fixing. Especially the top-order batters, who cannot score runs. Even the bowlers are fixing through bowling wides’. I told him, ‘Look, our players don’t do such things. Winning every game matters to us because we don’t often win games too often. If you ask me to fix, I will certainly say no and I won’t betray my country’.
We had lots of heated arguments and at one point I got excited. I told him no matter how much you offer, no one will accept it. Later I told him that if you want any proof I can give that. ‘Let me ask one player and she will deny it immediately. Do you want to see that?’ and that was my biggest mistake – getting into an argument with him and proceeding in that manner.
So you just wanted to prove that your team-mates are not involved in fixing?
Yes, I just wanted to prove that and Lata informed the ACSU. Firstly, I made a mistake by doing it and now it turned out to be a complicated affair after Lata informed ACSU. It seems like I have approached her for fixing.
Who is Akash? Is he an Indian as claimed in the report?
They asked me with whom I have spoken. I told them that he is a Facebook friend called Akash. I told them the truth. He is a Bangladeshi and stays somewhere in Dhaka. He told me to meet him in Mirpur, and as I was free, I agreed. When he told me he is in Mirpur, I asked him to come in front of Sony Cinema Hall and have tea with me.
According to the report, one of your cousins is involved in betting.
No, basically I was not understanding what to say and how to approach Lata and at that point, Akash told me to say it in such a manner that she would trust me. And later he asked me to say that one of my brothers is involved in betting, and now that the offer is good, whether she would interested to spot-fix. At that point, I told him that she will refuse, but I did what he told me to do.
Did that person offer you a monetary reward?
No.
How did this particular conversation snowball into a controversy?
When I called Lata, she was not online. I left her a voice message and later forwarded Lata’s response to him. Lata, on the other hand, sent that voice message to ACSU.
Is there anything apart from it?
No, there is nothing more to it.
So are you trying to say that the entire conversation is a miscommunication?
Yes, Lata felt I seriously made her an offer and she immediately informed it (to ACSU), and I could not tell her or make her understand that I had challenged someone.
If and when the ACSU interrogates you, will you stick to your current stand?
Yes, I will say the same thing.
Did you speak with anyone from the board?
Yesterday I called Nadel Sir (BCB women’s wing chairman) and Towhid Sir (BCB women’s wing official) to inform them about what had happened at that point. Nadel Sir told me that he was busy and Towhid Sir did not pick up the phone. What can I do now?
(Cricbuzz)
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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