BPL to employ CID officers to curb match-fixing
To ensure that no one can engage in fixing during the 12th BPL—or that anyone who does is caught in the BCB’s net—the board is set to appoint members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to each franchise.
Even before the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction, conversations were dominated by match-fixing allegations. Although not announced officially, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to exclude the nine accused local cricketers from the auction. And it isn't just the auction—the BCB is preparing to maintain maximum vigilance against fixing throughout the entire tournament.
To ensure that no one can engage in fixing during the 12th BPL—or that anyone who does is caught in the BCB's net—the board is set to appoint members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to each franchise.
BCB vice-president Sakhawat Hossain said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed with the CID. He shared the information while speaking to the media yesterday, Sunday, after the auction held at a Dhaka hotel.
Confirming that CID officers will be attached to BPL teams, Sakhawat said, "We've taken a new initiative for the integrity of the game. Our own integrity unit will, of course, be there, but we're also signing an MoU with the CID of Bangladesh Police. Two CID officers—one in uniform and one in plain clothes—will be assigned to each team."
Explaining the reason behind involving the CID, the BCB vice-president said, "CID is Bangladesh's top criminal investigation department. They have access to all modern technology. They can even review WhatsApp conversations. They have all the necessary equipment. So we're partnering with the government. This also demonstrates our commitment to transparency and the transparency of the game. At the same time, it shows that we have no lack of sincerity."
The 12th edition of the BPL is scheduled to begin on 26 December.
