The Bangladesh Premier League just started on Wednesday, but it has already courted controversy after West Indies pacer Krishmar Santokie came under fire for bowling some massive extras in the opening match of the tournament. Santokie, a left-arm pacer who plays for Sylhet Thunders, ran in over the wicket to a right-handed batsman and then launched a full-toss well down the leg side, going for what would have been a leg-side wide even in a Test match. He followed it up a few deliveries later with a no-ball, with his front leg landing significantly ahead of the crease.
Twitter users immediately accused the bowler of foul play.
"These T20 tournaments are noting but the hotbed of betting/match fixing. It is a matter of time that all these will be tumbled out in the open," one user tweeted.
"Something fishy..." wrote another.
"Looks like fixing," another user tweeted.
Another user simply wrote "Spot fixing".
"Soon ICC may send cops to the field mid-over," one user joked.
Sylhet Thunders team director Tanjil Chowdhury said that the team has requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to investigate Santokie's suspicious extras.
"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 and Morshed (BCB anti-corruption head) to investigate the matter," Chowdhury was quoted as saying by cricbuzz.com.
This is the second time Bangladesh have faced a fixing-related scandal in recent times. Former captain Shakib Al Hasan was in October banned for two years, with one year of that suspended, by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for failing to report corrupt approaches made to him.