BCB bans Tasnim, Sujon for 10 years

The BCB has punished two clubs and its players for "tarnishing the image of Bangladesh cricket" in their role in two controversial lower-tier league matches held last month. Both Tasnim Hasan and Sujon Mahmud have been banned for 10 years each while their clubs, Lalmatia Club and Fear Fighters Sporting Club, have been scratched from playing in any division of the Dhaka league. The captains, managers and coaches of both teams have also been handed five-year suspensions.

The board had formed a special committee to look into a Dhaka Second Division League match during which bowler Sujon had conceded 92 runs off four balls while playing for Lalmatia against Axiom Cricketers.

During the investigation the BCB's special committee found that Fear Fighters' Tasnim had also voluntarily conceded 69 runs in 1.1 overs against Indira Road Krira Chakra in protest of alleged biased umpiring, on the day before the Lalmatia-Axiom game.

Umpires Shamsur Rahman and Azizul Bari, who were umpiring in both matches in question, have been banned for six months for their inability to handle the matches properly.

Sheikh Sohel, one of three BCB directors in the special committee, said the committee had interviewed everyone who had been at the game. He also said the bowlers, Sujon and Tasnim, had done what the team management had asked them to do.

"They willingly tarnished the image of Bangladesh cricket," Sohel said. "There was no championship or relegation at stake. It was done intentionally to tarnish our image around the world. From the first day I have said that we won't tolerate such things. It was a crime.

"A bowler won't be able to do such a thing without the order of their team management. There was no match-fixing in this, not that they got any money for doing such a thing. From the whole investigation we realised that it was done to hurt Bangladesh cricket."