Bangladesh cricketer banned for spot-fixing

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Former international player Shariful Haque has been found guilty of spot-fixing and banned from cricket indefinitely, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said.

"The allegation made against the player has been substantiated," BCB president Mustafa Kamal told a news conference.

"We have decided to ban him from all cricketing activities until further notice. We will keep watching him and only if we are satisfied will his ban be lifted."

A BCB inquiry had looked into an allegation by former test captain Mashrafe Mortaza that he was approached by off-spinner Haque about spot-fixing before the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 Tournament in February.

Mortaza said he was told he would be paid 15 to 20 per cent of the earnings from spot betting, in return for providing information about whether he would play in certain matches and even whether he would be wearing sunglasses.

Haque, who played one one-day international against India in 1998, is the first cricketer in Bangladesh to be punished for match-fixing.

He was part of the Bangladesh squad in the 1994 International Cricket Council (ICC) Trophy in Kenya and played three first-class matches.

- Reuters