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ASHRAFUL CHARGED

awaits conviction

Naimul Karim
It was a day which many thought would officially bring the curtains down on Mohammad Ashraful's career. With the International Cricket Council CEO Dave Richardson having flown all the way from Dubai to submit the ICC's anti corruption report on fixing, many expected the ICC to announce Ashraful's punishment for his involvement in fixing in international cricket and in BPL-2.
However, the ICC along with Bangladesh Cricket Board in a press conference, which took place at a city hotel, merely stated that they were charging nine cricketers with breaching the anti-corruption code, refusing to name the participants barring Ashraful. He would now have to go through a disciplinary process and it would be months before his fate is revealed.
Whether the cricketers and officials charged by the ICC have received their charge letters is still unsure, but Ashraful, who met the ICC's delegation before the press conference yesterday morning, came out with charge letter in his hands. As per the ICC's anticorruption code, a player involved in corruption may be banned for a period ranging from five years to life time.
The cricketer, who was clad in a blue shirt and sporting a beard at the hotel, still hopes that the ICC would consider his cooperation with them and take a lenient decision against him.
"The punishment aspect is still far away. As of now there are lots of other
processes that will need to take place. For me the next step is to hire a personal lawyer for the tribunal, ” Ashraful told reporters.
Although the extent of Ashraful's punishment will be decided by a three-member tribunal formed by the BCB's
disciplinary committee, the ICC recommendations are bound to have an influence. When asked if he made any special requests to the ICC panel yesterday, he said, "I didn't have any request. I said that I was guilty. I have cooperated with the ICC and I hope I
can come back to the game soon."
The batsman, who seemed to be in a sombre mood - an expression he has developed in the last few months ever since he confessed to fixing, answered in short sentences and despite repeated questions didn't go deep into
the details regarding his meeting with the ICC delegation.
He did however reiterate his hopes of returning to cricket on his confession to the ICC. The ICC CEO, Richardson, spoke on a different line though. When asked if Ashraful's supposed cooperation would help him get off easy, he provided a more general reply, as opposed to focussing just on Ashraful.
''If the accused tell the truth, cooperate with the inquiry, those are all mitigating factors that the tribunal can take into account in determining the appropriate penalty. And that would apply to Ashraful as it would to all the other individuals that may be charged. However, we can't contemplate his penalty," said Richardson.
Apart from Ashraful, it was learnt that cricketers Mahbubul Alam Robin, Mosharraf Hossain Rubel, Darren Stevens, Dhaka Gladiators consultant Mohammad Rafique, owners Salim Chowdhury and Shihab Chowdhury are some of the other participants likely to have been charged.
Salim, speaking to The Daily Star, informed that he hadn't yet received any charge from the ICC until yesterday evening. He further stated that he was innocent and that there was no way that he could be found guilty on any charges.