Disgraced Bangladesh cricketer seeks comeback

Dhaka, April 28

A Bangladeshi Test cricketer, who was banned from the game after he was charged with torturing an 11-year-old girl he employed as a maid, apologised on Thursday and appealed to be allowed to return to the game. Shahadat Hossain, who had earlier denied abusing the girl, apologised for what he called his "misdeed" and said he had made a mistake.

“I regret the unwarranted incident I was involved in and apologise to the whole nation," he said in a statement. “For the sake of cricket and my livelihood, I want to return to cricket. I appeal to the nation, the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) to allow me to return to cricket and correct my mistake. I apologise for my misdeed,” he said.

The 29-year-old pace bowler had played 38 Tests and 51 One-day Internationals before he was suspended from all forms of the game.

The Bangladeshi police had charged him and his wife with assault and torture in December after the young girl was found crying on a roadside, her eyes bruised and swollen.

The couple went into hiding after police raided their house in September when the girl alleged they had beaten and tortured her.

He spent two months in custody after he handed himself in to police on October 5, and is out on bail currently.

The couple faces face up to 14 years in jail if convicted.

AFP