South Africa bans India-born Gulam Bodi for 20 years for involvement in match-fixing

Johannesburg, Jan 25: Cricket South Africa (CSA) today slapped a lengthy 20-year ban on Indian-born former all-rounder Gulam Bodi after he admitted to "contriving or attempting to fix matches" during the country's domestic Twenty20 competition last year.

Bodi, who was in IPL side Delhi Daredevils' squad in 2012, was charged with several counts of contriving or attempting to fix matches of Ram Slam T20 Challenge Series on December 31, 2015 following an investigation conducted by CSA's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

"Bodi is immediately banned for a period of 20 years from participating in, or being involved in any capacity in, any international or domestic match or any other kind of function, event or activity (other than authorised anti-corruption education or rehabilitation programmes) that is authorised, organised, sanctioned, recognised or supported in any way by CSA, the ICC, a National Cricket Federation or any member of a National Cricket Federation," the CSA said in a statement.

"Five of those years are suspended on condition that Bodi commits no further offences under the Code and demonstrates to CSA's reasonable satisfaction that he has actively and constructively participated in corruption-related player education programmes when asked to do so," it added.

37-year-old Bodi played in two ODIs for South Africa, both against Zimbabwe, in 2007. He played in a single Twenty20 International against the West Indies the same year. He was a member of South Africa's squad for the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, although he did not play in a single game.

Bodi was born in Hathuran (Gujarat) in India and his family moved to South Africa when he was a teenager. He also played for the South Africa Under-19 side in the World Cup in 1998.

PTI