UAE players Amir Hayat and Ashfaq Ahmed have been banned from all forms of cricket for eight years by the ICC's anti-corruption tribunal for violating ICC's anti-corruption code.
The bans are backdated to 13 September 2020, when they were provisionally suspended for corrupt conduct in relation to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier in April 2019. Hayat played the last of his 13 internationals in February 2019, while Ahmed, 37, last played for UAE in April that year.
The ruling means five UAE players - Mohammad Naveed, Shaiman Anwar and Qadeer Ahmed - have received bans of varying degrees over the last two years. While Ahmed is in the middle of a five-year ban, Naveed and Anwar were banned for eight years.
Following a full hearing and presentation of written and oral arguments, the Tribunal found both Amir and Ashfaq guilty of:
- Article 2.1.3, which deals with a player taking a bribe to try to fix a cricket match or ensuring the occurrence of a particular event for the purposes of betting on a cricket match.
- Article 2.4.2, which deals with gifts being given to a player in exchange for them breaking the ICC anti-corruption code and bringing the game into disrepute.
- Article 2.4.3, which deals with a player failing to disclose gifts and benefits offered to them with a value of USD 750 or more. There are exemptions to this: gifts given to them by family or friends, food or beverage gifts and cricket hospitality gifts in connection with the matches the player is involved in.
- Article 2.4.4, which deals with a player failing to disclose a corrupt approach made on them.
- Article 2.4.5, which deals with failing to disclose anything that may be seen as evidence of corrupt conduct.
ICC hoped the bans would serve as a warning to the others. "Both Amir and Ashfaq had played cricket at the highest level for long enough to understand the threat from match fixers," ICC general manager Alex Marshall said in a statement.
"The two UAE players, attended several ICC anti-corruption education sessions, and knew how to avoid becoming involved in any corrupt activity. They failed in these obligations and let down their teammates and everyone involved in UAE Cricket, in their adopted country. Their lengthy ban should serve as a warning to others."
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