Women's T20 World Cup: Bangladesh hit with spot-fixing allegation after media channel releases audio recording

The Bangladesh women's team has been hit with a spot-fixing allegation after a former player made a corrupt approach to a teammate within the squad in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa.

Audio recordings released by Dhaka-based Jamuna TV revealed that Shohely Akhter made an offer to current Bangladesh player Lata Mondal to spot-fix but the latter refused and reported the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

30-year-old Mondal is an all-rounder who played Bangladesh's opening game in Group 1 against Sri Lanka and lost. Akhter meanwhile, last played for the national team in October last year.

"I am not forcing anything. You can play if you want. The fact that I told you, you can play this time or not. You choose which match you want to play.

"You can offer the match. It is your wish. You did well in one match, you can play the next game or not. The team management will let you do that," Akhter is heard telling Mondal.

In reply, Mondal said: "No my friend, I am not involved in these things. Please don't tell me these things. I won't be able to do these things ever. I request you not to tell me these things, please."

ICC ACU begins probe

The Bangladesh Cricket Board also informed the ICC ACU about the matter after which a probe was launched by the world governing body.

“Our cricketer from the World Cup squad, who has been approached (for fixing), has immediately reported it to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). Now, the rest will be dealt with by the ACU.

"We do not have jurisdiction over these matters as it will be looked into by ACU. But, yes, we are aware of it,” BCB director and Bangladesh women’s cricket chairman Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel told local news channel The Daily Star.