The United Arab Emirates cricketers Ashfaq Ahmed and Amir Hayat have been handed an eight-year ban for breaching the ICC anti-corruption code. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed this news on Thursday.
ICC released a statement, where they mentioned both players are getting banned for eight years. The back-dated ban started on 13 September 2020. Both players received this suspension because of their involvement in wrongdoing related to the Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019, which took place in the UAE.
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“Both Amir and Ashfaq had played cricket at the highest level for long enough to understand the threat from match-fixers. The two UAE players attended several ICC anti-corruption education sessions and knew how to avoid becoming involved in any corrupt activity. Their lengthy ban should serve as a warning to others,” ICC anti-corruption unit chief Alex Marshall was quoted as saying in the statement.
Both Amir and Ashfaq have been found guilty of accepting bribes to “fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any international match”, the ICC further said in the statement.
Both players breached five articles of the ICC anti-corruption code which includes the charges for not revealing receiving “gift, payment, hospitality or other benefits” to ICC’s Anti-corruption Unit.
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“The players have 14 days from 13 September to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage,” the statement concluded.
Fast-bowler Amir Hayat has played in nine One-Day Internationals along with four T20Is, where he grabbed 11 and 6 wickets respectively. On the other hand, Ashfaq Ahmed is a designated batsman who featured in 16 ODIs and 12 T20Is.
