‘Fake news’: Shoaib Malik not guilty of match-fixing during BPL

LAHORE: Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Fortune Barisal confirmed on Friday that there is no truth to rumours about all-rounder Shoaib Malik’s involvement in match-fixing.

Fortune Barisal’s owner Mizanur Rahaman confirmed in a video message that Malik left BPL due to personal reasons.

"The news about Malik's involvement in match-fixing is fake," said Rahaman. 

"Malik is a good cricketer and his performance for our side was really impressive," he added.

Malik had left Bangladesh, couple of days back, in order to travel to Dubai. He was set to return tomorrow but Malik extended his trip to February 5 due to personal reasons. This forced the franchise to terminated the all-rounder's contract due to the latter's long leave of absence. 

Barisal have also confirmed that they will acquire Malik's services if he is needed in the future.

However, soon after Malik's contract was terminated, multiple news outlets reported that the player was involved in match-fixing while citing three no-balls he bowled in a single over of a BPL match recently. 

It must be noted that Malik recently announced his marriage to actor Sana Javed, leaving his fans and followers surprised.

Meanwhile, Malik also provided additional details about the matter through his official X, Twitter, account.

“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,” said Malik.

“I want to emphasise 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 prioritise accuracy and rely on credible sources to ensure a clear understanding of the facts. Thank you for your understanding and diligence.”

The 41-year-old confirmed his third marriage on his social media accounts where he wrote a small caption with a Quranic verse.

“Alhamdullilah,” Malik wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “And We created you in pairs,” the post added.

Malik got married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza in 2010 and the two had been together for almost 14 years.

Malik is one of the longest-serving cricketers in Pakistan cricket. Making his international debut against West Indies at Sharjah in October 1999, he is still going strong at the top level even after 24 years since his debut.

The all-rounder made his ODI debut in 1999, then went on to represent Pakistan in 287 one-day matches, where he scored 7534 runs at 34.55 while also taking 158 wickets.

Malik’s Test career was short as the all-rounder only played 35 matches in total, scoring 1898 runs at 35.14 with a career-best score of 245 against England in 2015 in UAE. He took 32 wickets in the process.

In T20I, the 41-year-old scored 2435 runs at 31.21 with a strike rate of 125.64, he also took 28 wickets in 49 innings.

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