Afghanistan top-order batter handed five-year ban over corruption charges

Afghanistan’s cricket board said on Wednesday it had banned top-order international batter Ihsanullah Janat for five years after he admitted to “corrupt activities” in a domestic league.

Three other unidentified players were also under investigation over match-fixing, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said.

Janat, 26, the younger brother of former Afghan skipper and selector Nawroz Mangal, was regarded as a talented player with three Tests, 16 one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international under his belt.

“Janat has been banned from all forms of cricketing activities for five years following breaches of ACB and ICC (International Cricket Council) Anti-Corruption Codes during the second edition of the Kabul Premier League 2024,” the ACB said in a statement

“Janat has admitted to the charges and confessed to his involvement in corrupt activities,” it said.

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Janat scored 72 runs in four innings for the Shamshad Eagles, who finished sixth and last this year in the Kabul League, which was launched in 2022.

The ban on Janat, who last played for the national team in 2022, takes effect immediately, the ACB said.

Former Afghan national player Shafiqullah Shafaq was banned from cricket for six years over corrupt practices in 2020.

Afghanistan have progressed rapidly at the international level, beating former champions England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup last year.

Their highest point came in the Twenty20 World Cup in June when they beat Australia and New Zealand on their way to the semi-finals.

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