Match-fixing: three Hong Kong cricketers suspended after being charged with breaching ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code
Irfan Ahmed, who had already served a 30-month ban, Nadeem Ahmed and Haseeb Amjad face a total of 19 charges and have 14 days to respond
Three Hong Kong cricketers have been charged with breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Code –including match-fixing – and have been provisionally suspended pending an investigation, the ICC said on Monday.
Irfan Ahmed, 28, – who had already served a 30-month ban – Nadeem Ahmed, 31, and Haseeb Amjad, 30, have been charged by the ICC on a total of 19 counts of breaching the code. Irfan faces nine charges, while Nadeem and Hasib face five charges each.
“The players have 14 days from 8 October 2018 to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage,” the ICC said on its website.
Irfan ended a suspension on May 4, 2018, having been found guilty of failing to report requests to fix matches several times between January 2012 and January 2014, although he did not act on any of the approaches.
However, the latest charges are more specific and include the 2016 ICC World T20 tournament in India, held in March – two months after Irfan started his first suspension.
Charges against Irfan involve Hong Kong’s ICC World Cup qualifying match against Scotland on January 13, 2014, in Queenstown, New Zealand, which Hong Kong won by 17 runs; World Cup qualifier, Hong Kong versus Canada on January 17, 2014, in Rangiora, which Hong Kong won by nine wickets; T20 Hong Kong versus Zimbabwe on March 12, 2014, in Chittagong, which Hong Kong won by four wickets; the World T20 qualifiers in 2015 and the World T20 finals in 2016.
Charges against Nadeem, Irfan’s older brother, involve Hong Kong versus Scotland, Hong Kong versus Canada and the World T20 finals in 2016. Haseeb’s charges relate to Hong Kong versus Scotland and Hong Kong versus Canada.
None of the three is in the Hong Kong squad who are now touring Papua New Guinea.
The following are the charges in detail:
IRFAN AHMED
Article 2.1.1 of the 2012 Code: fixing or contriving or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Hong Kong v Scotland match of 13 January 2014.
Article 2.4.2 of the 2012 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the 2012 Code in relation to the Hong Kong v Scotland match of 13 January 2014.
Article 2.1.1 of the 2012 Code: fixing or contriving or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
Article 2.1.3 of the 2012 Code: failure, for reward, to perform to one’s abilities in the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
Article 2.4.2 of the 2012 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the 2012 Code in relation to the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
Article 2.1.2 of the 2012 Code: seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept a bribe or other Reward to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Hong Kong v Zimbabwe match of 12 March 2014.
Article 2.1.3 of the 2014 Code: seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept a bribe or other Reward to fix or contrive or otherwise improperly influence the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of one of more of the ICC World T20 Qualifiers in July 2015.
Article 2.4.4 of the 2014 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the 2014 Code in relation to one or more of the ICC World T20 Qualifiers in July 2015.
Article 2.1.3 of the 2014 Code: seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept a bribe or other Reward to fix or contrive or otherwise improperly influence the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of one of more of the 2016 ICC World T20 matches.
NADEEM AHMED
Article 2.1.1 of the 2012 Code: fixing or contriving or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Hong Kong v Scotland match of 13 January 2014.
Article 2.4.2 of the 2012 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the 2012 Code in relation to the Hong Kong v Scotland match of 13 January 2014.
Article 2.1.1 of the 2012 Code: fixing or contriving or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
Article 2.4.2 of the 2012 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the 2012 Code in relation to the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
Article 2.1.3 of the 2014 Code: seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept a bribe or other Reward to fix or contrive or otherwise improperly influence the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of one of more of the 2016 ICC World T20 matches.
HASEEB AMJAD
Article 2.1.1 of the 2012 Code: fixing or contriving or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Hong Kong v Scotland match of 13 January 2014.
Article 2.4.2 of the 2012 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the 2012 Code in relation to the Hong Kong v Scotland match of 13 January 2014.
Article 2.1.1 of the 2012 Code: fixing or contriving or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
Article 2.4.2 of the 2012 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the 2012 Code in relation to the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
Article 2.1.3 of the 2012 Code: failure, for reward, to perform to one’s abilities in the Hong Kong v Canada match of 17 January 2014.
