The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has effectively put a total ban on Ishanullah Janat, a top-order batsman, meaning he will not be able to play any form of cricket for five years from now. When he played during the second edition of the Kabul Premier League (KPL), Janat was found guilty and admitted charges related to breaches of ACB and ICC’s Anti-Corruption codes regarding match fixing.
Janat (26) made his Test debut for Afghanistan as early as 2017. He has participated in three Tests, 16 One Day Internationals and one T20 International encounter. Due to his remarkable stroke play skills, he was even deemed to be a prodigy in his childhood days; this led some people to believe that it was because Janat was too young when he debuted that hindered the early stages of his career.
The ACB stated, “Janat was deemed guilty of breaching Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which pertains to the misuse of influence or attempts to manipulate the outcome, progression, conduct, or any other element of a match.”
“In light of this violation, he has been handed a five-year ban from all cricket-related activities. Janat has admitted to the charges and confessed to his involvement in corrupt activities,” the statement added.
This is a significant setback not just for Janat but also for Afghan cricket. The ACB will also face challenges due to the reliability concerns it may bring to the KPL, which it is working diligently to promote and expand.
The ACB is examining additional players for corruption
ACB also reported that it is probing three more players for match-fixing following Ihsanullah Janat’s conviction.
“The ACB Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has revealed that three other players are also under suspicion for involvement in match-fixing, and investigations are underway. Decisions regarding their involvement will be made upon confirmation of their guilt,” the statement added.
On the cricket pitch, Afghanistan is killing it with men but off the pitch, it is finding it hard to keep issues at bay. Since May 2021 when the Taliban gained control in Afghanistan, questions have risen about the prohibition of female cricket in the country.
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