Ashraful's ban reduced by 3 yrs

Former captain Mohammad Ashraful has had his eight-year ban for involvement in corruption reduced to a five-year penalty, with two years suspended, by the BCB's disciplinary panel chairman.

Ashraful had appealed to the disciplinary panel chief, Justice Mohammad Abdur Rashid, in July, asking that the ban he received a month earlier, for his involvement in match-fixing in the 2013 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, be reduced, reports ESPNcricinfo.

The five-year ban is dated from 13 August, 2013. The last two years are suspended subject to his participation in a BCB or ICC anti-corruption education and training programme. "Upon production of a certificate of good conduct from ICC", a BCB release said, he will be eligible to return to cricket "on or about 13 August, 2016".

Ashraful, who had admitted to his guilt before being banned, said he was pleased with the result of his appeal. "I had wanted a reduction in the ban similar to what has been given to me, when I had appealed," he told ESPNcricinfo. "I'm very happy, now I can play [sooner]. I should have been punished, yes, but I think this is good for me."

In other decisions taken by the disciplinary panel chief, Sri Lanka slow-bowling allrounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi's 18-month ban, for failing to report an approach, was reduced to one year.

One of the owners of Dhaka Gladiators, Shihab Jishan Chowdhury, who had been found guilty of "being party to an effort to fix" a match in the BPL and handed a ten-year ban, had also appealed. His ban was upheld by the disciplinary panel chief, but the fine of BDT 2 million that went with it was quashed.

However, Salim Chowdhury, the franchise's chairman, who was acquitted of all charges after the anti-corruption tribunal concluded its hearing into the matter, was slapped with a ten-year ban by the disciplinary panel chief. Salim Chowdhury's ban will be dated from 13 August, 2013.