ACB Bans Noor Mohammad Lalai From All Forms Of Cricket For Trying To Spot-Fix Matches

Noor Mohammad Lalai, who is an assistant coach of an Afghanistan domestic team, has been in the news for wrong reasons. Noor Mohammad Lalai also runs a private cricket academy named Hampalana, wherein he is a full-time coach. Noor Mohammad approached a Afghanistan national team player for spot-fixing in a few matches in the Shapageeza Cricket League (SCL 2019), for which Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) banned him from all forms of cricket for five years.

Noor Mohammad Lalai was found guilty of the below three 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.

Under the guidelines of the code, Noor Mohammad pleaded guilty to the charges against him and agreed to the sanctions imposed by the ACB. ACB’s senior anti-corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi labelled it as a severe offence where a domestic level junior coach gets indulged in corrupt practices. The coach, who was an agent, tried to involve a national team player in spot-fixing a few matches of SCL 2019. However, he could not do so as he got reported.

“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 Player to engage in corruption of spot fixing of few matches in SCL 2019. Luckily, he failed to do so as he was reported,” Quraishi stated as quoted by ACB’s official website.

ACB thanks the unnamed player for reporting Noor Mohammad Lalai’s corrupt practices:

Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi appreciated the efforts of the unnamed national player, who took the initiative, displayed true bravery, and professionalism in reporting it. He recognized what it was and abjured it, proceeding to register a complaint about Noor Mohammad Lalai and helping in the investigation.

“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,” he added.

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