Former captain and senior all-rounder Shoaib Malik found himself in a fix with speculations of match-fixing surrounding his name, following his sudden departure from the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) midway. Malik, who played for the Fortune Barishal franchise in the BPL, was thrown under the bus for a moment by the owner Mizanur Rahman, who on a private channel said that the Pakistan cricketer's three no-balls in an over against the Khulna Tigers should be investigated.
Finding himself stuck in a web of speculations and rumours, Malik refuted the reports of his contract being terminated by Fortune Barishal due to 'match-fixing allegations' calling them baseless. "I would like to address and dismiss the recent rumors circulating about my playing position with Fortune Barishal. I had a thorough discussion with our captain, Tamim Iqbal, and we mutually planned the way forward. I had to leave Bangladesh for a pre-committed media engagement in Dubai," Malik said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
"I want to emphasize the importance of exercising caution when it comes to rumors, especially those circulating recently. I want to make it clear that I strongly refute these baseless rumors. It's crucial for everyone to verify information before believing and spreading it. Falsehoods can harm reputations and create unnecessary confusion. Let's prioritize accuracy and rely on credible sources to ensure a clear understanding of the facts. Thank you for your understanding and diligence," Malik added as the franchise owner Mizanur withdrew his statement.
When Mizanur was made aware of the fact that the Anti-Corruption Unit was investigating Malik's no-ball incident, he had said on Channel 24, "If it is done (ACU investigation) it would be good because three no balls in one over bowled by an off-spinner is looking really absurd to me and we lost the match there."
Mizanur admitted that he shouldn't have spoken that way while mentioning that he didn't know it was going to be telecasted. However, the Fortune Barishal owner did confirm that the franchise and Malik had parted ways as they wanted the veteran all-rounder to be with them till February 14, however, his commitment in Dubai will run till February 6 and would only come after that.
"Our main games are after that [14th] so it won't help if he comes on 6th and so I said 'we don't need you'," Mizanur added. In a Facebook post on Friday, January 24, the franchise owner said, "Last few days we are hearing a lot about Shoaib Malik. I deeply protest against it and he is a good player and he had given his best for our team and so we don't want to discuss about it any further."
Fortune Barishal are currently in 6th spot in the seven-team competition with just one win in three matches and would be looking to get back to the winning ways in the remaining matches.
