Bangladesh match-fixing hearing underway

A hearing was underway in Bangladesh today against nine cricketers and officials charged with match-fixing offences involving the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), officials said.
The disciplinary hearing convened by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) involves seven people charged with match-fixing including former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, who made a tearful confession on national television earlier this year.
Two players including English all-rounder Darren Stevens have also been charged with failing to report corrupt approaches made to them to fix matches in the 2013 edition of the BPL, a Twenty20 competition.
"The trial has started today," BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told AFP.

None of the players was present for the closed-door hearing, which is being led by a former Supreme Court judge, and follows an investigation by the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption officials.
Lawyers are representing the officials and players who all face suspension from the BPL and from international cricket if found guilty of fixing or failing to report an approach about fixing.

Of the nine people, who have not been publicly named by officials, seven have been charged with match-fixing offences, and two others with failing to comply with their obligation to report corrupt approaches that were made to them.

Ashraful was allegedly involved in fixing a match between the Dhaka Gladiators and the Chittagong Kings during this year's competition.
Local media have reported that the batsman was paid about one million taka ($12,800) to lose the match on February 2.