ICC Bans Pune Devils Coach and Co-Owners for Corruption
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed bans on Ashar Zaidi, Parag Sanghavi, and Krishan Kumar Choudhary for their involvement in corrupt activities during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 league.
Zaidi, the batting coach of the Pune Devils team, has been banned for five years from all cricket activities. Sanghavi and Choudhary, co-owners of the Devils, have received two-year bans.
The bans were imposed after the trio admitted to breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board’s anti-corruption code. Zaidi admitted to soliciting and facilitating corrupt conduct, while Sanghavi and Choudhary admitted to betting on matches and failing to cooperate with the investigation.
The ICC statement noted that the last 12 months of each ban period have been suspended. This means that Sanghavi and Choudhary will be eligible to participate in cricket from September 19, 2024, while Zaidi will be eligible from September 19, 2027.
The bans are the latest in a series of actions taken by the ICC to combat corruption in cricket. In September 2023, the ICC charged eight individuals with corruption offenses related to the Abu Dhabi T10 league. Among those charged was Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain, who received a two-year ban.
The ICC’s anti-corruption unit continues to investigate the matter, and further sanctions may be imposed in the future.
