Shafaq has appeared in 24 ODIs and 46 Twenty20Is for Afghanistan and notched up 430 and 494 runs, respectively.

Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned from all forms of cricket fot a period of six years after he was found to have breached four articles of Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) Anti-Corruption Code.

The 30-year-old has been charged for violating the ACB’s anti-corruption code during the maiden edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) in 2018 and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2019.

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The four charges accepted by Shafaq are as follows:

Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match,  including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.”

Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match …”

Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.”

Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.”

Shafaq has admitted the charges levied against him and agreed to the suspension handed by the ACB and, therefore, there will be no need for any formal hearing.

Reflecting on the same, ACB’s Senior Anti-Corruption manager, Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said that Shafaq has committed a very serious offence by engaging in corruption activities in a high-profile domestic game.

 “This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019.It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB’s ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived,” ACB official website quoted Quraishi as saying.

Quraishi further revealed that the ban could have been even longer, had Shafaq did not admit to the breach and made full cooperation with ACU throughout the investigation. He also revealed that the wicketkeeper-bastman is absolutely ready to contribute to ACB ACU’s future integrity education programs in order to help young cricketers to learn from his mistakes.

Shafaq has appeared in 24 ODIs and 46 Twenty20Is for Afghanistan and notched up 430 and 494 runs, respectively.

 

 

 

Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned from all forms of cricket fot a period of six years after he was found to have breached four articles of Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) Anti-Corruption Code.

The 30-year-old has been charged for violating the ACB’s anti-corruption code during the maiden edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) in 2018 and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2019.

The four charges accepted by Shafaq are as follows:

Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match,  including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.”

Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match …”

Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.”

Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.”

Shafaq has admitted the charges levied against him and agreed to the suspension handed by the ACB and, therefore, there will be no need for any formal hearing.

Reflecting on the same, ACB’s Senior Anti-Corruption manager, Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said that Shafaq has committed a very serious offence by engaging in corruption activities in a high-profile domestic game.

 “This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019.It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB’s ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived,” ACB official website quoted Quraishi as saying.

Quraishi further revealed that the ban could have been even longer, had Shafaq did not admit to the breach and made full cooperation with ACU throughout the investigation. He also revealed that the wicketkeeper-bastman is absolutely ready to contribute to ACB ACU’s future integrity education programs in order to help young cricketers to learn from his mistakes.

Shafaq has appeared in 24 ODIs and 46 Twenty20Is for Afghanistan and notched up 430 and 494 runs, respectively.

 

 

 

Afghanistan wicket-keeper Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned from all forms of cricket after accepting four charges of breaching the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s anti-corruption code.

In February, the 30-year-old was provisionally suspended with immediate effect and charged with five breaches of anti-corruption code.

The charges relate to the inaugural edition of Afghanistan Premier League (2018) and the 2019 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.

Quote

Here is what anti-corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said

“This is a serious offence where a senior player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his team-mates to engage in corruption during BPL 2019,” Quraishi said.

Article 2.1.1

Article 2.1.1 was breached by Shafaq

Shafaq breached the Article 2.1.1 that states the following:

Breach of Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match, including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.

Other charges

Breach of Article 2.1.3 and 2.1.4

Breach of Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match.

Breach of Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.

Information

Shafaq also breached the Article 2.4.4

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.

Admission

Shafaq admitted to charges imposed by ACB

Under the provisions, Shafaq admitted to charges levied against him and also agreed to the sanctions imposed by ACB.

Quraishi also mentioned that the term of Shafaq’s could have been longer without his cooperation.

“It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB’s ACU,” he stated.

A Tulane University basketball player who was sidelined before the season has been arrested and barred from team activities after a woman accused him of raping her. 

Bul Ajang, a 6-foot-10 native of South Sudan who came to Tulane on a basketball scholarship but played sparingly because of an injury, was booked Monday with third-degree rape after he was accused of forcing himself on a woman after a night on the town. He is out of jail on a $10,000 bond.

The alleged victim told investigators that she, Ajang and others went to a bar on Sunday to drink and dance, according to a police account of the case filed in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. She said the next thing she remembered was waking up to find Ajang forcing her into sex in a strange bedroom.

The woman said she rejected Ajang and told him she wanted to go home, police said. She said the 22-year-old player then “hit her to the right part of her forehead and continued having sex with her.” 

Eventually, Ajang called a ride-share service, which brought the pair to the woman’s home in the Florida neighborhood, police said. 

The woman said she was dropped off, ran into her home and told her live-in boyfriend that Ajang had assaulted her. She called 911 to report that she had been raped, then went to University Medical Center and underwent a sexual assault examination, police said.

Without elaborating, police said they didn’t see any visible facial injuries on the woman.

Police said they interviewed Ajang at Tulane Medical Center, where he was receiving treatment for injuries that he claimed he suffered after being attacked by the woman’s boyfriend when he dropped her off.

In his interview, Ajang offered a different version of events.

He said he and his roommate had gone to visit one of the woman’s roommates, according to police. From there, Ajang said his accuser accompanied him and his roommate to a party before Ajang and the woman went alone to a bar to continue drinking, which they had been doing throughout the evening.

According to police, Ajang said the two were “(messed) up” when they went to his Uptown home and began having sex. He said they stopped when the woman asked to go home, and he called a ride-share service.

Ajang said her boyfriend attacked him as he was dropping her off.

An attorney for Ajang couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Tulane sports information director Tom Symonds said Ajang no longer has any association with the program. He remains a student at the university.

Third-degree rape in Louisiana can carry up to 25 years in prison but has no mandatory minimum punishment. Authorities can pursue that charge against anyone they suspect knowingly had sex with a person whose ability to consent was incapacitated by alcohol or some other substance.

Ajang played only occasionally for two years at Tulane under former coach Mike Dunleavy Sr.

After scoring a career-high five points in the Green Wave’s American Athletic Conference opener at Cincinnati last season, he played in just three more games before a chronic knee problem sidelined him last January for the rest of the season.

New coach Ron Hunter said in August that Ajang had undergone knee surgery and would get a medical hardship from the NCAA, ending his playing career.

“He’s going to stay on scholarship and be my personal assistant coach,” Hunter said at the time. “I just don’t think you should run kids off because of an illness or something like that. He’s going to be with us until he graduates here and, if he wants to stay with us, after he graduates.”

Ajang, a business major, signed with Tulane in November 2016 out of the Patrick School in New Jersey.

In April 2014, New Orleans police booked a Tulane football player on an allegation that he raped a woman on campus who was too intoxicated to consent to sex, but prosecutors later dropped the case. The woman from that case also filed a lawsuit against that player, a teammate and the university, which Tulane ultimately settled.

A student survey Tulane conducted a few years ago found that four in 10 undergraduate women said they had been subjected to unwanted sexual contact. That survey prompted the university to adopt a number of measures aimed at preventing sexual violence, including a faculty guide on how to talk with students about sexual violence and a standardized training guide educating students on healthy relationships.

This story has been updated since it was first published. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says players who refuse to get a flu shot should be banned from competing in the NRL.

Mr Morrison was adamant players should abide by a “no jab, no play” policy after Gold Coast player Bryce Cartwright polarised the rugby league community with his anti-vaccination stance.

Cartwright rejected a request to be vaccinated as part of strict measures to restart the NRL competition on May 28 and must now explain his actions to NRL chief medical officer Paul Bloomfield.

“When I was social services minister I started the ‘no jab, no play’ rule into the childcare facilities,” Mr Morrison told 2GB radio.

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“And I think the same rule applies there — no jab, no play.”

An NRL spokesperson said players who refused to receive the shot would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis in consultation with club and NRL medical staff.

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While reports claimed Cartwright faced a ban, the NRL spokesperson refused to speculate on possible penalties if a player could not justify refusing to have the shot.

The NRL said it was not aware of any other players rejecting the flu shot.

A Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) spokesman said a player who refused to be vaccinated had the option to sign a waiver in order to continue to train and be available for selection while their case was dealt with by the NRL.

The spokesman said the RLPA strongly recommended flu shots but believed players who refused should be dealt with case-by-case and that the vaccination was not mandatory.

The rugby league community appeared to be split down the middle by Cartwright’s stance as the majority of NRL teams returned to training on Wednesday.

Titans captain Kevin Proctor said Cartwright should be allowed to play once the NRL season resumes.

He said he did not believe teams would feel uncomfortable facing an opposition player who had refused to have a flu shot.

“I’m not going to go on the field and go, ‘I’m not going to run at him, he hasn’t got a vaccine’,” Proctor said.

“You don’t even think about that stuff. I reckon it is just stupid.”

NRL great Paul Gallen backed Cartwright.

“I’m not against the flu shot, but I just think if they don’t want to have it, they don’t have to have it,” he told 2GB’s Wide World of Sports Radio.

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“If they don’t want to put it into their body, they don’t have to have it.”

But Penrith legend Mark Geyer was adamant Cartwright should get the jab if he wanted to play.

“I respect he and his partner’s decision for his family, if they don’t want to get the kids vaccinated that’s fine,” he told Triple M’s Rush Hour.

“As for Bryce, I’m sorry but no flu shot, no play.”

Cartwright’s partner Shanelle justified their position on social media.

“People have the freedom to say what they like, just like we have the freedom to choose which medical procedures we undergo,” she posted on Instagram.

“But ultimately the proof is in the pudding. Our kids are a picture of health.

“They’ve never had an ear infection, never had a chest infection or bronchitis, they have no neurodevelopmental disorders or autoimmune disorders and are rarely ever sick.

“They’ve never had a round of antibiotics or any other pharmaceutical drug for that matter … As parents we do our best with what we know, for some, health comes in a needle and it works for them.

“What we’re doing is going seemingly well seeing the state of their health. So if it’s not clear, we’re not anti anything.

“We stand for medical freedom and the right to choose. Anyway, that’s my piece.”

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South Sydney half-back Adam Reynolds said he followed the recommendation of the NRL and the RLPA about having a flu shot.

“I had my flu shot three or four weeks ago,” he said.

“I stayed at home during that time and rested up … that is the doctor’s advice.”

Reynolds throws support behind Mitchell

Reynolds has backed his teammate Latrell Mitchell, who he claimed had been on the receiving end of some “unfair” media scrutiny.

Mitchell — along with Melbourne’s Josh Addo-Carr, Newcastle’s Tyronne Roberts-Davis and Penrith’s Nathan Cleary — was fined by the NRL last week for flouting social-distancing laws amid the coronavirus pandemic.

NSW Police also charged Mitchell and Addo-Carr with firearms offences.

Mitchell and Reynolds were also in the news earlier this week when they were tested for COVID-19. Both returned negative results.

Reynolds said Mitchell did not deserve some of the media coverage he had recently attracted and his privacy needed to be respected.

“If it was another player in his situation, they wouldn’t be on the front page of the paper, it’s just because his name is Latrell Mitchell,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s fair that journos or whatnot turn up to his door and harass him at his family home.

The Storm’s Felise Kaufusi said Addo-Carr had apologised to his teammates following the punishment he received from the NRL and NSW Police.

“I think he’s taken it a lot to his heart and [it’s] very, very personal and he just wants to show us that it was a mistake and he just wants to do the best that he can,” Kaufusi said.

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South African and Sale Sharks centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg has been suspended for two weeks and fined £32,500 ($40,202) for signing contracts with two English Premiership rugby clubs.

Van Rensburg signed a three-year deal with Sale before the 2018/19 season, having already agreed a three-year deal with Gloucester Rugby in 2017.

The dates of Van Rensburg’s suspension will be confirmed when more details of the playing calendar are available.

Sale Sharks were slapped with a suspended five-point deduction for two seasons and fined £20,000 ($24,740) for their involvement in the scandal. The suspended point deduction is on condition that Sale does not violate RFU Regulation 7 which applies to players, approaches, contracts, payments and player movements.

Gloucester Rugby will be paid £25,000 ($30,925) in compensation out of the £32,500 fine for money which was given to Van Rensburg but not repaid.

According to the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body for rugby union in England, both parties accepted the charges against them.

Van Rensburg was charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game contrary to RFU Rule 5.12 while Sale Sharks were charged with breaches of RFU Regulation 7.5 which relates to approaches to players, the RFU said.

The RFU confirmed that there is a right to appeal against the decision.

Fiji rugby sevens player Isake Katonibau has been banned from travelling after appearing in court on assault charges.

FBC News reports Katonibau re-appeared in the Suva Magistrates court yesterday.

Katonibau who is facing serious assault charges was granted bail with strict conditions.

He also has to inform the court of his travels outside Viti Levu.

It’s alleged the 35-year-old assaulted a police officer in Suva as the officer was trying to stop a brawl involving the National 7s rep.

The matter has been adjourned until next month when Katonibau is expected to take his plea.

Two former New Zealand representatives are among four players suspended for doping offences, the country’s rugby authorities said Wednesday.

Zoe Berry played one Test for the Black Ferns against England in 2012, and Glen Robertson turned out for the New Zealand under-20 side in 2010 and 2011 and is a former member of the New Zealand Sevens squad.

Both were suspended for four years.

The two others, Ben Qauqau-Dodds and Rhys Pedersen, both played at senior club level.

Qauqau-Dodds is listed as the grandson of a former Fiji representative while Pedersen was voted the “best and fairest” club player in Manawatu province last year.

Qauqau-Dodds received a two-year ban and Pedersen was suspended for 21 months.

“What this investigation has revealed is that there is a lot of ignorance in our community game on the issue of performance-enhancing drugs,” New Zealand Rugby general manager Neil Sorensen said.

“What has happened to these four rugby players serves as a reminder that all athletes have to be very careful about what they put into their bodies.” 

Berry, Pedersen, and Robertson were accused of possessing and in some cases the use or attempted use of Clenbuterol, a stimulant. Qauqau-Dodds was charged with possession and use or attempted use of anabolic steroid Metandienone.

They all pleaded guilty to at least one of the alleged offences.

The charges were laid by Drug Free Sport New Zealand, which enforces World Anti-Doping Agency codes, and follows an investigation into the website Clenbuterol NZ.

It identified a number of athletes from a range of sporting codes as making purchases from the website in 2014 and 2015.

 

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Four New Zealand rugby players have been suspended for doping offences.

Zoe Berry, who played one Test for the Black Ferns against England in 2012, and New Zealand under-20 and sevens international Glen Robertson were both given four-year suspensions.

Two other club-level players received a two-year ban and a 21-month ban.

Rhys Pedersen, Berry and Robertson were banned for possessing and in some cases using or attempting to use stimulant clenbuterol.

Ben Qauqau-Dodds was charged with possession and use or attempted use of anabolic steroid metandienone.

Clenbuterol and metandienone are both prohibited substances under the NZ Sports Anti-Doping Rules.

“This serves as a reminder that all athletes have to be very careful about what they put into their bodies,” said New Zealand Rugby general manager Neil Sorensen.

All four players, who were playing club rugby at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to at least one of the alleged offences.

The charges were brought by Drug Free Sport New Zealand, which enforces World Anti-Doping Agency codes.

Wellington, Jan 9, 2018 (AFP) – – Two former New Zealand representatives are among four players suspended for doping offences, the country’s rugby authorities said Wednesday.

Zoe Berry played one Test for the Black Ferns against England in 2012, and Glen Robertson turned out for the New Zealand under-20 side in 2010 and 2011 and is a former member of the New Zealand Sevens squad.

Both were suspended for four years.

The two others, Ben Qauqau-Dodds and Rhys Pedersen, both played at senior club level.

Qauqau-Dodds is listed as the grandson of a former Fiji representative while Pedersen was voted the “best and fairest” club player in Manawatu province last year.

Qauqau-Dodds received a two-year ban and Pedersen was suspended for 21 months.

“What this investigation has revealed is that there is a lot of ignorance in our community game on the issue of performance-enhancing drugs,” New Zealand Rugby general manager Neil Sorensen said.

“What has happened to these four rugby players serves as a reminder that all athletes have to be very careful about what they put into their bodies.”

Berry, Pedersen, and Robertson were accused of possessing and in some cases the use or attempted use of Clenbuterol, a stimulant. Qauqau-Dodds was charged with possession and use or attempted use of anabolic steroid Metandienone.

They all pleaded guilty to at least one of the alleged offences.

The charges were laid by Drug Free Sport New Zealand, which enforces World Anti-Doping Agency codes, and follows an investigation into the website Clenbuterol NZ.

It identified a number of athletes from a range of sporting codes as making purchases from the website in 2014 and 2015.

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