Ashraful admits suicidal attempts
Photo - Cricfrenzy
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh former skipper Mohammad Ashraful said that he wanted to commit suicide out of regret at one point of time after the match-fixing saga.
Ashraful admitted to spot-fixing during the second edition of Bangladesh Premier League [BPL] which was held in 2013. The Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] suspended him immediately after knowing it from all forms of the game temporarily until the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit submits their report on.
The alleged fixing involves a match between the Dhaka Gladiators and the Chittagong Kings and against the Barisal Burners.
"At one point I thought I would rather commit suicide than leading this life. Then I go for Hajj. Going to Hajj changed my mindset," Ashraful told Cricfrenzy.
‘’I shared these thoughts with my brother-in-law [Mojibul Alam] and he did the right thing by ridiculing me. He told me that even a great player like Azharuddin has gone through such hardships. The public and the fans will be upset, but I would have to soldier through it,’’ he said.
In June 2014, BCB found him guilty and banned him for eight years but reduced to five years (with two years suspended) later on. In August 2016 Ashraful's ban was partially lifted, allowing him to play in domestic cricket only in Bangladesh. He became eligible to play in international fixtures in 2018.
"I still remember what mental harassment it was. Everyone knows I've committed a crime, I have done wrong, fixed a match. Very naturally I was a criminal in everyone's eyes then. Everyone started looking with curved eyes. Many close people also moved away. Some of the loved ones turned away. I always thought, how can I survive in such a situation, how do I show my face in public, what should I tell my family, what will happen to them, how will I cover up the social stigma which will happen to me and my family," he added.
