Ihsanullah Janat banned over corruption by Afghanistan cricket board

KABUL: Afghanistan’s cricket board said on Wednesday it had banned former top-order international batter Ihsanullah Janat for five years after he admitted to “corrupt activities” in a domestic league.

Three other unidentified players were also under investigation over match-fixing, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said. Janat, 26, the younger brother of former Afghan skipper and selector Nawroz Mangal, was regarded as a talented player with three Tests, 16 one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international under his belt.

“Janat has been banned from all forms of cricketing activities for five years following breaches of ACB and ICC (International Cricket Council) Anti-Corruption Codes during the second edition of the Kabul Premier League 2024,” the ACB said in a statement

“Janat has admitted to the charges and confessed to his involvement in corrupt activities,” it said. The ban on Janat, who last played for the national team in 2022, takes effect immediately, the ACB said. Former Afghan national player Shafiqullah Shafaq was banned from cricket for six years over corrupt practices in 2020.