BCCI declares umpire Rauf out, for five years

Mumbai, February 12

Tainted Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf was on Friday banned for five years by the BCCI after its disciplinary committee found him guilty of corrupt practices and bringing the game into disrepute. The 59-year-old Rauf, who was part of the ICC’s elite panel, was accused of accepting expensive gifts from bookies and placing bets on the IPL matches in the 2013 edition.

After a decision on him was deferred for several weeks, the committee, headed by BCCI president Shashank Manohar, finally announced the ban on him on Friday. Rauf had been withdrawn by Pakistan from the ICC’s elite panel after the allegations against him broke out.

“Asad Rauf has been banned for a period of five years from umpiring or playing or representing cricket in any form or anyway being associated with the activities of the board and its affiliates,” the BCCI said in a press statement.

“Rauf did not appear before the committee but had sent his preliminary submissions on January 15, 2016 and a written statement on February 8, 2016,” it added.

The grounds on which he has been found guilty pertain to “soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, facilitating or authorising any other party to enter into a bet for the direct or indirect benefit of the participant in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any match or event”. — PTI