Afghanistan's Ihsanullah Janat Banned for Five Years for Corruption

Ihsanullah Janat, a top-order batsman for Afghanistan, has received a five-year ban from "all forms of cricket activities" due to corruption, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Wednesday. The ban takes effect immediately. The board stated that Janat breached the ACB's and ICC's anti-corruption code during the second edition of the Kabul Premier League earlier this year.

The ACB's statement revealed that Janat violated Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which pertains to improper influence or attempts to fix the result, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of a match. "Given this violation, he has been banned from all cricket-related activities for five years. Janat has admitted to the charges and confessed his involvement in corrupt activities," the statement added.

The ACB also noted that its anti-corruption unit is investigating "three other players" for potential involvement in corrupt activities. Decisions regarding their involvement will be made upon confirmation of their guilt.

During the Kabul Premier League 2024, Ihsanullah played for Shamshad Eagles, scoring 72 runs in four innings with an average of 18 and a strike rate of 150. His team finished last in the six-team league with just one win from five games.

Internationally, Ihsanullah has represented Afghanistan in 20 matches across three formats. Since his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Harare in February 2017, he has played 15 more ODIs, scoring 307 runs at an average of 21.92. Additionally, he has appeared in three Tests (scoring 110 runs at an average of 22.00) and one T20I, where he scored 20 runs off 14 balls. His last international appearance was in a T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare in June 2022.

Ihsanullah hails from a cricketing family, with his brother Nawroz Mangal being one of Afghanistan's early international cricket stalwarts. Nawroz captained the national team when they became the first Affiliate nation to gain ODI status at the 2009 World Cup qualifiers, and again when they qualified for the 2010 T20 World Cup.