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Who Is Shohely Akhter? First Female Cricketer Banned For Women’s T20 World Cup Fixing Attempt

Jatin

Shohely Akhter has been banned by the ICC for corruption [Source: @Cric_records45, @cricket97bd/x.com]Shohely Akhter has been banned by the ICC for corruption [Source: @Cric_records45, @cricket97bd/x.com]

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The world of women’s cricket was hit with a shocker recently when Bangladesh’s off-spinner Shohely Akhter became the first female cricketer to be banned for corruption. A modest international career turned into a controversial headline as she was found guilty of attempting to fix matches, offering bribes, and obstructing an ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) investigation.

The charges are serious and Shohely Akhter ’s involvement in match-fixing during the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa has left the cricketing fraternity stunned.

Who Is Shohely Akhter?

Shohely Akhter was not a big name in international cricket. She represented Bangladesh Women in just 2 ODIs and 13 T20Is where she snagged 11 wickets across formats. Her best figures came in T20Is where she registered 4/7 and displayed her potential.

Shohely Akhter’s Stats In International Cricket

  • ODIs: 2 matches, 3 wickets, best bowling 3/13, economy 3.26
  • T20Is: 13 matches, 8 wickets, best bowling 4/7, economy 5.78

Despite her limited appearances on the big stage, Shohely’s career has taken a controversial turn that will now define her legacy.

Born in Bangladesh, Shohely Akhter ’s began her journey with dreams of making it big in cricket. But after last playing for Bangladesh in October 2022, her cricketing journey went quiet until her name popped up for all the wrong reasons.

It all started during the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023  in South Africa. Although Shohely wasn’t part of the playing squad, she made an approach to a fellow Bangladesh player before their match against Australia on February 14, 2023.


Shohely got in touch with the player on Facebook Messenger where she offered her 2 million Bangladeshi Takas (USD 16,400) to get out hit-wicket during the game.

The player refused the offer and immediately reported the matter to the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). The player provided the ACU with voice notes from Shohely as evidence even though Shohely had deleted the files on her own devices.

The Investigation And Shohely’s Explanation

When the ACU investigated the matter, Shohely admitted to sending the voice messages but tried to justify her actions by claiming it was just a “challenge” to prove that the Bangladesh team wasn’t involved in fixing.

She even showed screenshots of a supposed conversation with a friend. However, the ACU discovered that these files were made after February 14 which proved her explanation false.

Caught in a web, Shohely was left with no option but to admit guilt. The ICC charged her with breaching five provisions of the Anti-Corruption Code which includes attempting to fix a match and obstructing the investigation.

Given the situation, Shohely was awarded a five-year ban from all cricket starting February 10, 2025. The ban has no right of appeal which means Shohely Akhter’s career is effectively done and dusted.