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August 7, 2024
Ashar Zaidi, the batting coach for the Pune Devils, and team co-owners Parag Sanghavi and Krishan Kumar Choudhary have been banned for violating anti-corruption rules during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 league.
Zaidi, a former Pakistani allrounder, has received a five-year ban from all cricket activities. Sanghavi and Choudhary have each been banned for two years after admitting to breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board’s anti-corruption code. “In each case, the last 12 months of each period of ineligibility is suspended,” the statement said.
The bans are backdated to September 19, 2023, the date on which they were provisionally suspended, the ICC said, adding that “with the application of the suspended part of the sanction”, Sanghavi and Choudhary will be re-eligible to participate in cricket from September 19, 2024 and Zaidi from September 19, 2027.
Zaidi, Sanghavi, and Choudhary were among eight people charged by the ICC in September 2023 for breaching anti-corruption rules on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board.
Another notable name among the charged individuals was Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain, who received a two-year ban and will be eligible to return to cricket on April 7, 2025.
Zaidi, Sanghavi, and Choudhary admitted to the following charges:
Article 2.4.4: They failed to report all details of any attempts to involve them in corrupt activities to anti-corruption officials.
Article 2.4.6: They failed or refused to cooperate with investigations into possible corrupt behavior, without a valid reason.
Article 2.4.6: They did not cooperate with investigations into possible corruption without providing a valid reason.
South Africa chose to bat first after winning the toss but faced interruptions due to Trinidad’s unpredictable weather. They were at 45 for 1 when play was halted. Only 15 overs were completed on the opening day, and play was called off just before tea time. The match will resume half an hour earlier on the second day to make up for the 75 overs lost.
South Africa had an extra batter in their lineup and hoped to settle in on a pitch their captain, Temba Bavuma, was confident about. “did not see a blade of grass on”. The pitch was bare and lifeless, requiring disciplined bowling from the West Indies, and veteran Kemar Roach delivered just that. With three slips and a gully set up, Roach’s first delivery angled into Aiden Markram, beating him on the back foot as planned. In his next over, Markram tried to play a cover drive but, due to the lack of bounce, was lucky to get the ball over gully for South Africa’s first boundary. Roach’s opening spell was challenging, ending with figures of 5-3-6-0.
At the other end, Tony de Zorzi appeared more at ease against Jayden Seales, playing off the front foot and scoring a well-timed three down the ground. Seales’ pace was in the mid-130 kph range and posed little threat early on, prompting Kraigg Brathwaite to bring in Gudakesh Motie in the eighth over. De Zorzi capitalized on this, hitting Motie for a four after swiping his fourth ball over midwicket. De Zorzi continued to attack, and Motie was soon replaced by Jason Holder.
De Zorzi kept attacking and soon, Motie was replaced by Jason Holder. Markram, who had been hanging back against Roach, was also back in his crease for Holder’s first ball. This delivery seamed in, slipped through the bat-pad gap, and knocked out off stump, dismissing Markram for 9. Markram’s recent first-innings scores in Test cricket have been in single digits, a trend he’ll need to address as the season progresses.
Markram’s dismissal brought Tristan Stubbs to the crease. He scored his first runs by playing Holder to square leg and faced four more balls before rain halted play at 11:10 am local time. An early lunch was taken 40 minutes later due to intermittent showers. Two hours later, with covers covered in puddles and dark clouds overhead, the rain returned just as the umpires were about to inspect. After waiting 45 minutes, the day’s play was called off.
This is particularly disappointing for South Africa, who haven’t played with their full-strength side since January and have a limited red-ball schedule. After this Test, they have only seven matches left in this World Test Championship cycle, with their series in the 2023-2025 period reduced to two Tests each.
Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for The Wicket Insider, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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