Kent cricketer cleared of failing to report match-fixing: ICC charging policy must be scrutinised

Darren Stevens, the Kent all-rounder, has been acquitted by a disciplinary panel in Bangladesh of failing to disclose a corrupt approach during the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League, which is a T20 tournament akin to the Indian Premier League (IPL).

For further information about the initial investigation and the disciplinary charges Darren Stevens faced, see my previous blog 'Match fixing in Bangladesh: The ICC's biggest investigation yet'.

This author has criticised the offence of failing to report in both the aforementioned blog and, more recently, when considering the protections for whistleblowers in sport. 

Now, with the acquittals of six of the nine individuals charged in the Bangladesh proceedings, serious questions have to be asked about the International Cricket Council's and Bangladesh Cricket Board's charging procedures. Put simply, whilst not everyone should be convicted, a conviction rate in the Bangladesh proceedings of 33% is notably low.

Indeed, even the figure of 33% is charitable. Only one individual, one of the owners of Dhaka Gladiators, Shihab Jishan Chowdury, has been found guilty of an offence by the disciplinary panel after pleading not guilty¹. Two other individuals, Mohammad Ashraful and another unnamed person, had already confessed to corrupt behaviour before the proceedings began.

Domestic criminal proceedings