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We are not cheats: Bangladesh

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Saber Hossain Chowdhury has rejected the reported statement of South African Cricket Board managing director Ali Bacher that the Bangladesh-Pakistan match in the last World Cup was fixed.

"We showed our mettle in every department of that game and beat Pakistan", he said, adding that "Such an allegation will demoralise our cricket".

He said the BCB would lodge an official protest if anybody made any specific allegation against Bangladesh.

Chowdhury, who was in Dubai en route to Dhaka after his visit to South Africa, said, "The ICC is going to take tough measures to stop match-fixing in cricket, and a new code of conduct is expected to replace the existing one."

He said that while in South Africa he had held extensive talks with Ali Bacher on ways and means to clean up the mess in international cricket. "We are going to suggest drastic measures like imposing life bans on the players found guilty and rules to force them to reveal the identity of anyone who approaches them".

Chowdhury said in response to a question, "Dr Bacher categorically denied making any statement like that. As part of the sub-continent and a cricket-playing nation ourselves, we are deeply concerned. He told me that he had been misquoted".

He said Bangladesh was close to attaining Test status. "We need seven votes out of nine and we are pretty close...As far as the matter of Test status is concerned, it is a matter of 'when' not 'if".

He said, "We have the backing of almost all the members of the ICC to attain Test status. Besides, we have an excellent cricketing infrastructure and a solid support base".

UNI