Afghanistan Coach Gets Five-year Ban for Spot-fixing Approach to National Team Player

The Afghanistan Cricket Board on Monday banned coach Noor Mohammad Lalai for a period of five years as he was found guilty of approaching a national cricketer to fix matches in the previous edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League.

In the midst of the last edition of SCL, reports suggested that a national team player was approached by Noor Mohammad Lalai with some kind of “work”, which later turned out to be an offer of spot-fixing in a few matches during the course of the tournament.

“This is a very disappointing and serious offence where a domestic-level junior coach is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in SCL 2019,” ACB’s senior anti-corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said on Monday.

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“The coach, as an agent, tried to get one of the national team players to engage in corruption of spot fixing of a few matches in SCL 2019. Luckily, he (the coach) failed to do so as he was reported.

“I would like to place on record my grateful appreciation and thanks to the player who displayed true bravery and professionalism from the moment he reported this approach.

“He recognized it for what it was, rejected it and reported it. He then supported our investigation and subsequent tribunal.”

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The offence that Noor Mohammad was found guilty of was ‘fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix.’

Under the provisions of the Code, Noor Mohammad chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by ACB.