Santokie to be investigated by the BCB?

Two media outlets reported early Friday morning that a Sylhet Thunder official 'verbally requested' the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to investigate Sylhet pacer Krishmar Santokie's no-ball during their clash with Chattogram Challengers in the opening game of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.

"The no-ball that he bowled is suspicious. He [Santokie] is not yet called by the BCB but I have lodged my complaint. I verbally requested CEO [Nizamuddin Chowdhury] and Morshed [BCB anti-corruption head] to investigate the matter [no ball]," the reports quoted Sylhet team director Tanjil Chowdhury, who is also a BCB director, as saying.

Santokie had bowled a massive wide, which went way down the leg side of Chattogram Challengers right-handed batsman Avishka Fernando in the third ball of his opening over. Two balls later the left-arm pacer bowled a bizarre no-ball, overstepping the mark by more than a foot, which raised many eyebrows.

The suggestion, of course, is that Santokie bowled the no-ball intentionally as part of a spot-fix in the manner of Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir's massive no-ball against England in 2010 at Lord's, which formed the basis of a spot-fixing charge and a five-year ban.  

The BCB appointed each of the seven teams in the BBPL with a team director and Tanjil, who is in charge of Sylhet Thunder said that the whole incident seems suspicious. 

"We [BCB director] don't have anything to do with the playing XI. It is up to the management and the coach. I asked the sponsors whether they interfered in the playing XI and they are refusing to say anything. Now we have to talk with the team management and know whether anyone influenced them to play Santokie because it seems he is associated with spot-fixing." Tanjil was quoted as saying.

Sylhet Thunder will play Rajshahi Royals in Mirpur today.