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Afghan Cricket Player Gets Six-Year Ban For Match Fixing


Shafiqullah Shafaq plays a shot during the World T20 cricket tournament match between England and Afghanistan at Feroz Shah Kolta Cricket Stadium in New Delhi in March 2016.
Shafiqullah Shafaq plays a shot during the World T20 cricket tournament match between England and Afghanistan at Feroz Shah Kolta Cricket Stadium in New Delhi in March 2016.

Afghan cricketer Shafiquallah Shafaq has been banned from the sport for six years after acknowledging charges of match fixing.

The 30-year-old was charged with fixing or attempting to fix matches in the Afghanistan Premier League T20 in 2018 and the 2019 Bangladesh Premier League, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on May 10.

"This is a very serious offense where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game," ABC senior anti-corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said.

Quraishi said Shafaq's admission of guilt and his cooperation with the investigation helped him avoid a harsher punishment.

The ABC said that Shafaq will contribute to educational programs to help young players learn from his mistakes.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
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