ICC bans Saheeli Akhter for 5 years over match-fixing

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Bangladesh women’s cricket team spinner, Saheeli Akhter, for five years due to match-fixing allegations. This ban, which applies across all formats of cricket, was imposed following the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.

The 36-year-old cricketer admitted to breaching five provisions of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The ban began on February 10, 2025, and the ICC stated that Akhter had seriously violated cricket’s rules, leading to the suspension.

According to reports, in 2023, a Dhaka-based news channel released an audio recording featuring a conversation between two cricketers. The conversation suggested that Lata Mondal had contacted Saheeli Akhter during the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. However, Saheeli denied the allegations and referred to them as a misunderstanding.

Saheeli Akhter, an off-spinner, has played 2 One-Day Internationals and 13 T20 International matches for the Bangladesh women’s team.