B'desh players fined for female guests

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board has levied a record fine on two national team players for what it called "serious" breaches of discipline after they reportedly entertained female guests in their hotel rooms.

Pace bowler Al-amin Hossain and batsman Sabbir Rahman were both fined around USD 15,000 for "serious offfield disciplinary breaches" during the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 tournament, said the BCB in a statement on late Tuesday.

It gave no details of the charges against the players, but the Prothom Alo daily reported online that they had taken female guests to their hotel rooms during the tour.

"The players have been reminded of their responsibility as national cricketers and have been warned that any repetition of similar acts of indiscretion in the future will result in harsher penalty," the BCB said.

The BPL is modelled on the glitzy Indian Cricket League and has been blighted by match-fixing scandals, prompting authorities to suspend the meet for two years.

The fines are the highest ever imposed on a Bangladeshi player on disciplinary grounds.

Al-amin's amounts to 50 percent of his BPL contract money for playing for the Barisal Bulls while Sabbir's equals to 30 percent of his pay from the Rajshahi Kings. The BCB also fined Sabbir and Afghan cricketer Mohammad Shahzad 15 percent of their match fees over an on-field bust-up.