BCB issues clarity on their Integrity Unit's routine operations

Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) Integrity Unit on Sunday (January 11) mentioned that routine integrity operations in response to credible suspicion are being conducted for the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League under ICC's global integrity framework.

Recently, two franchises - Dhaka Capitals and Noakhali Express - took a swipe at the members of BCB's Integrity Unit (BCB IU), headed by its independent chairman Alex Marshall, for giving them a tough time in the name of investigation.

Dhaka Capitals chief executive officer Atik Fahad on Friday (January 9) publicly expressed his frustration over the activities of BCB IU during the ongoing BPL and threatened to quit BPL in future.

Fahad also revealed that IU officials entered Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz's hotel room early in the morning without prior appointment or informing the franchise management, leaving the foreign cricketer totally confused. It prompted Gurbaz to say that he will not come to the tournament if such thing continues in future.

Noakhali Express showed similar discontent with the activities of IU members that included lodging protests against a member after being harassed in the dressing room.

"Routine integrity operations in response to credible suspicion are being conducted for BPL-12 under ICC's global integrity framework," BCB said in a statement.

"Such measures by BCB IU are part of BCB's zero-tolerance policy and drive against corrupt cricketing activities. BCB IU operates in accordance with the general processes under prevailing anti-corruption code of ICC. Therefore, there has been no violation of the rights of any player or Franchisee Personnel by BCB IU team in any way," it said.

"These preventive measures by BCB IU have resulted in an approximately 80 percent reduction in alerts relating to suspicious activities," it said.

"As part of standard integrity procedures, several foreign players have been spoken to privately as witnesses in order to verify recruitment processes, contractual arrangements and payment structures. Such meetings are confidential and preventive in nature and do not imply that any player is under investigation or has already been found guilty," he added.

BCB reiterated about its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and said that they remain firmly committed to protecting the credibility, transparency and reputation of the Bangladesh Premier League.