Ihsanullah banned for 5 years on corruption charges
The ban follows the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s anti-corruption investigation into the 2024 Kabul Premier League. Afghanistan top-order batsman Ihsanullah Janat has been banned from “all forms of cricketing activity” for five years for corruption, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Wednesday. The ban comes into effect immediately.
The board said the ACB and ICC anti-corruption codes were breached during the second edition of the Kabul Premier League earlier this year. The ACB said in a statement that Janat was found guilty of violating Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which covers undue influence or attempts to influence or influence the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of a match.
Afghanistan’s Ihsanullah has been handed a five-year ban from cricket due to his involvement in corrupt activities.The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the suspension following an investigation that revealed Ihsanullah’s engagement in actions that violated the sport’s integrity. The ban serves as a stern warning to players about the serious consequences of corruption.
Ihsanullah, a promising talent, will now miss crucial years of his career, emphasizing the ACB’s commitment to maintaining the game’s purity. This decision underscores the ongoing efforts to combat corruption in cricket and protect the sport’s reputation.
Five-year ban from all cricket-related activities
In view of this breach, he has been handed a five-year ban from all cricket-related activity. Janat has accepted the charges and admitted his involvement in corrupt activities. The statement said the ACB’s anti-corruption unit is “investigating three other players” for possible involvement in corrupt activities. A decision on their involvement will be made once their guilt is confirmed.
The 26-year-old Ihsanullah played for Shamshad Eagles in the Kabul Premier League 2024 and scored 72 runs in four innings at an average of 18 and a strike rate of 150. The team finished last in the six-team league table with just one win from five matches.
Internationally, Ihsanullah has played 20 matches for Afghanistan across all three formats. Since his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Harare in February 2017, Ihsanullah has played 15 more matches in the format, scoring 307 runs (average 21.92) and has also featured in three Tests (110 runs at 22.00) and one T20I, where he scored 20 off 14 balls. That T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare in June 2022 was his last match for his national team.
Became first associate nation to get ODI status in qualifier
Ihsanullah comes from a family with deep ties to the game, with his brother Navroz Mangal being one of the stalwarts of the country in the early years of international cricket. Navroz was the captain of the national team when they became the first associate nation to get ODI status in the 2009 World Cup qualifier, and then when they qualified for the 2010 T20 World Cup.
It also said that the ACB’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has revealed that three other players are also suspected of being involved in match-fixing and investigations are underway. A decision regarding their involvement will be taken after their guilt is confirmed.
Jannat made his first-class debut for Afghanistan against the Netherlands in the 2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup on July 29, 2016.
Undue influence to fix conduct or any other aspect
He has represented Afghanistan in three Tests, 16 ODIs and one T20I, scoring a total of 437 runs across formats. He last played an international match during the T20I series against Zimbabwe in 2022.
“Jannat was found guilty of violating Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which involves the use of undue influence or attempts to fix the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of a match,” the ACB said in a statement. In view of this violation, he has been handed a five-year ban from all cricket-related activities.
Ihsanullah, the brother of veteran Afghanistan cricketer Nawroz Mangal, has played 3 Tests, 16 ODIs and one T20I for the national team. He represented Shamshad Eagles in the second season of the Kabul Premier League, scoring 72 runs in four innings while his side finished last in the six-team standings.
In its statement, the ACB also revealed that its Anti-Corruption Unit was investigating three other players” for possible breaches of the code. A decision regarding their involvement will be made upon confirmation of their guilt.
Conclusion
Afghanistan international cricketer Ihsanullah Jannat has been banned from all forms of cricket for five years for match-fixing, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement on Wednesday, August 7.
The ACB said batsman Jannat breached the ICC Anti-Corruption Code during the second season of the Kabul Premier League this year.
Jannat was found guilty of violating Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which covers “using improper influence or attempting to influence the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of a match,” the ACB said in a statement.
