Noor Mohammad “Lalai” handed five-year ban for spot-fixing

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has issued a five-year ban to Noor Mohammad “Lalai” after the player accepted four charges related to the breaching of the ACB Anti-Corruption Code.

Noor Mohammad, who serves as the Afghanistan domestic assistant coach, will be banned from all forms of cricket after it was reported that he approached a national team player to spot-fix ‘a few games’ during the Shapageeza Cricket League (SCL 2019).

Addressing the matter, ACB’s Senior Anti-Corruption manager, Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi commented: “This is a very disappointing and serious offence where a domestic level junior coach is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in SCL 2019.

“The Coach, as an agent, tried to get one of the National team Players to engage in corruption of spot fixing of a few matches in SCL 2019. Luckily, he failed to do so as he was reported.”

Noor Mohammad was found guilty of the following four offences under the Code:

• Breach of Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix.
• Breach of Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.
• Breach of Article 2.3.3 – directly soliciting, inducing, enticing or encouraging a participant to breach the Code
• Breach of Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.

Quraishi added: “I would like to place on record my grateful appreciation and thanks to national Player Mr X who displayed true bravery and professionalism from the moment he reported this approach. He recognized it for what it was, rejected it and reported it. He then supported our investigation and subsequent tribunal.”