Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful confessed to match-fixing on Tuesday, after being suspended by his national cricket board (BCB) pending an investigation.
"I confessed to all the charges...in the interest of cricket. I'll accept any punishment given by BCB," the glum-looking, 28-year-old batsman told reporters in Dhaka.
"I always tried to give my best in cricket but I'm also feeling guilty for my wrongdoings. Please forgive me."
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan said the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit is conducting an inquiry into allegations of match-fixing in this year's Bangladesh Premier League and would report back within a week.
"Ashraful will not be allowed to play any kind of match till the investigation ends," Hassan said.
"The findings in the final inquiry report...will be considered in determining the next course of action in this regard," the BCB said in a statement after an ad-hoc executive committee meeting.
More than a fortnight after the spot-fixing scandal broke out in the Indian Premier League, Ashraful's suspension is the latest case of corruption in cricket which has seen a number of cricketers being arrested in recent times.
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The ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) has been probing allegations of match-fixing during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 competition.
Hassan's announcement came during a BCB meeting in Dhaka to deal with the match-fixing allegations.
The alleged fixing involves a match between the Dhaka Gladiators and the Chittagong Kings teams during the second edition of the BPL.
The 28-year-old Ashraful was allegedly paid about one million taka (US$ 12,800) to lose the February 2 match, but the cheque he was given later bounced, according to the local media.
He was also allegedly involved in fixing another match 10 days later, against the Barisal Burners, which his team lost by seven wickets, the reports said.
Ashraful became the country's youngest Test centurion in 2001 at the age of 17 and captained Bangladesh between 2007 and 2009.
He played in 61 Test matches and complied 2737 runs for an average of 24. He scored six centuries during his Test career which spanned from 2001 to 2013. In ODIs, Ashraful managed 3468 runs in 177 matches for an average of 22.23.
The allegations are the latest to hit Bangladeshi cricket, including the BPL, which was launched in 2012 on the lines of the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
The IPL is grappling with its biggest ever credibility crisis after Indian paceman S Sreesanth and three of his Rajasthan Royals team-mates were arrested on charges of spot-fixing. All the four players -- Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan and Amit Singh -- are in judicial custody.
A week after the arrest of the players, BCCI president N Srinivasan's son-in-law and CSK Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan was also arrested on charges of betting along with small-time actor Vindoo Dara Singh, son of legendary wrestler Dara Singh.
The developments led to Srinivasan stepping aside as BCCI president in the wake of intense media pressure with veteran Jagmohan Dalmiya taking charge as the head of a Working Group to look after the day-to-day affairs of the Board..
Photograph: Andrew Biraj/Reuters
