Fixing allegation rocks Sylhet camp after BPL defeat

Bangladesh cricket, already unsettled by developments surrounding the World Cup, received another jolt on Wednesday night as Sylhet Titans adviser Fahim Al Chowdhury brought an explosive allegation of match-fixing during the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Fahim made the allegation shortly after Sylhet were knocked out of the tournament, losing by 12 runs to Rajshahi Warriors in the second qualifier. Visibly emotional after the defeat, he announced his resignation before the media. Later, he went live on social media and claimed that an individual within the team had sold the match.

Chasing 166, Sylhet were in a strong position at one stage, needing 40 runs from 21 balls, but lost momentum towards the end and eventually fell short.

Following the match, Fahim appeared on a Facebook Live session late at night and made detailed claims, alleging betrayal from within the camp.

“Dear Bangladesh, dear people of Sylhet, I want to share some important information with you,” Fahim said during the live session. “Today’s match was severely tainted. I have received reliable information that a person involved in the match sold himself. He lied to us, betrayed Sylhet, and cheated Sylhet Titans. Most importantly, he cruelly betrayed the emotions of the people of Sylhet.”

Fahim said the incident had left him shattered and insisted that the matter would not be brushed aside.

“There was no need for this. He could have told me how much money he needed, and it would have been arranged,” he said. “This truth has truly broken me. I will not let this end here. The issue will be investigated thoroughly, and appropriate action will be taken against those responsible.”

Describing the defeat as compromised, Fahim reiterated his claim that the loss was not a sporting one.

“Today’s loss was a loss driven by betrayal,” he said. “Those who watched the match will understand what I mean. I want to tell you once again, this was not our loss. This loss was completely compromised. It was fixing, and Sylhet was betrayed.”

He further said that the individual had made a grave mistake by playing with the emotions of Sylhet’s people. “I knew beforehand that the BPL was riddled with betrayal and gambling. But today, our players are completely demoralised. The entire people of Sylhet have been brought to tears because of betrayal. I will not let him go so easily,” Fahim said.

Match-fixing allegations have surfaced repeatedly in previous editions of the BPL, although none have been resolved conclusively. In a bid to address corruption and irregularities, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had appointed former ICC Anti-Corruption Unit chief Alex Marshall for the current edition. While no fixing allegations had emerged earlier this season, irregularities and concerns over the quality of cricket persisted.

The late-stage emergence of such allegations from an individual associated with a franchise has once again pushed the BPL into controversy.