Rizwan Javed Faces 17 ½ Years Ban Under Anti-Corruption Code
UK-based club cricketer, Rizwan Javed, has been handed a hefty ban of 17 ½ years from all cricketing activities. The ban follows his conviction on five separate counts of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code for Participants (the ‘Code’).
The International Cricket Council (ICC), representing the ECB as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the Code, charged Rizwan along with seven other players and officials in September of the previous year. The charges were related to the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League and attempts to corrupt matches in the tournament, which were successfully thwarted.
The decision was made by Michael J Beloff KC, Chair of the ICC Code of Conduct Committee, acting as the ECB’s Disciplinary Panel. Rizwan failed to respond to the charges and was thus considered to have admitted to the offences, waived his right to a hearing, and accepted the sanction.
Rizwan’s Offences
Rizwan was found guilty of the following offences:
- Article 2.1.1 – Being involved in attempts to improperly fix, contrive or influence matches or aspects of matches in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021 (on three separate occasions).
- Article 2.1.3 – Offering a reward to another participant in exchange for engaging in corrupt conduct.
- Article 2.1.4 – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any participant to breach Code Article 2.1 (on three separate occasions).
- Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the DACO full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code.
- Article 2.4.6 – Failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the DACO in relation to possible corrupt conduct under the Code.
The ban on Rizwan is retroactive to 19 September 2023, the date he was provisionally suspended.
ICC’s Stand on Corruption
ICC General Manager Integrity, Alex Marshall, commented on the issue, stating: “Rizwan Javed has received a lengthy ban from cricket for his repeated and serious attempts to corrupt professional cricketers. He has shown no remorse and no respect for the rules that are in place to protect our sport. The sanction imposed should send a strong message to other corrupters trying to target cricket at any level and demonstrates that any attempt to corrupt cricket will be strongly dealt with.”
The decision, which has been redacted to protect the identities of witnesses and other third parties, is available here.
The media release on the charges is available here.
The media release on Bangladesh player Nassir Hossain’s ban is available here.