B’desh rubbish WC bookie links
25 Feb 2015 11:59 PM GMT
Bangladesh on Tuesday rubbished media reports back home that seamer Al-Amin Hossain had been kicked out of the World Cup for reportedly confessing to meeting an illegal Indian bookmaker.
The official statement issued on Sunday by the team management had said Hossain, 25, was being sent home for breaking curfew rules ahead of Bangladesh’s washed-out match against Australia in Brisbane last weekend. But the Dhaka-based English language ‘New Age’ newspaper and other media said Hossain had been under observation by ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU) for some time.
However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)’s head of media, Jalal Yunus, insisted the only charge of indiscipline against Hossain was staying out late at night and had nothing to do with any alleged corruption. “The ACSU has told us they have nothing against Hossain, but we took action because we have a no-tolerance policy for not obeying team orders. There is no truth in reports that he was sent home because of alleged links with bookies,” Yunus said. Media reports said ACSU had already spoken to Hossain a few days earlier in Canberra when the team was in the Australian capital for their opening match against Afghanistan.
Hossain apparently admitted knowing an unnamed Indian bookmaker whom he had met in Chennai, where he had gone to have his bowling action tested last year, but the ACSU did not bring any charges against him. However, when the seamer broke curfew rules and went out late at night in Brisbane, the team management decided to punish him and send him packing from the World Cup.
The New Age quoted an unnamed official as saying that Hossain gave three different versions regarding his late-night outing when questioned by team management. “He first claimed he went to buy a SIM card, which raised more suspicion as the player already had one with him. Al-Amin then claimed he went to a nightclub but BCB officials were not ready to accept it either because they found it hard to believe he will visit a nightclub alone in bad weather,” the paper reported.
The official statement issued on Sunday by the team management had said Hossain, 25, was being sent home for breaking curfew rules ahead of Bangladesh’s washed-out match against Australia in Brisbane last weekend. But the Dhaka-based English language ‘New Age’ newspaper and other media said Hossain had been under observation by ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU) for some time.
However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)’s head of media, Jalal Yunus, insisted the only charge of indiscipline against Hossain was staying out late at night and had nothing to do with any alleged corruption. “The ACSU has told us they have nothing against Hossain, but we took action because we have a no-tolerance policy for not obeying team orders. There is no truth in reports that he was sent home because of alleged links with bookies,” Yunus said. Media reports said ACSU had already spoken to Hossain a few days earlier in Canberra when the team was in the Australian capital for their opening match against Afghanistan.
Hossain apparently admitted knowing an unnamed Indian bookmaker whom he had met in Chennai, where he had gone to have his bowling action tested last year, but the ACSU did not bring any charges against him. However, when the seamer broke curfew rules and went out late at night in Brisbane, the team management decided to punish him and send him packing from the World Cup.
The New Age quoted an unnamed official as saying that Hossain gave three different versions regarding his late-night outing when questioned by team management. “He first claimed he went to buy a SIM card, which raised more suspicion as the player already had one with him. Al-Amin then claimed he went to a nightclub but BCB officials were not ready to accept it either because they found it hard to believe he will visit a nightclub alone in bad weather,” the paper reported.
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