In a first, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Bangladesh's off-spinner Shohely Akhter for five years on corruption charges. As per ESPNcricinfo, Akhter has become the first international women's cricketer to be suspended over corruption. The 36-year-old cricketer was guilty of attempting to fix a match and offering a bribe. She also failed to fully disclose details of an approach to the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code (ACU). Akhter has also been accused of obstructing the investigation. The corruption charges against Akhter stem from an approach she made to a fellow Bangladesh cricketer during the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World in South Africa. The ACU's investigation centered on a conversation that occurred on Facebook Messenger between Akhter and the player on February 14, 2023. This happened during a T20 World Cup game between Bangladesh and Australia. During the conversation, Akhter offered the player some $16,400 (2 million Bangladeshi Taka) to be dismissed hit-wicket during the match. The player immediately reported the incident to the ACU and submitted all voice notes from Akhter, who had later deleted these files from her devices. When confronted by the ACU, Akhter confessed to sending voice messages but initially denied it was a genuine attempt at corruption. Akhter's five-year ban from all cricket activities came into effect on February 10, 2025. She represented Bangladesh in two ODIs and 13 T20Is during her career, claiming 11 wickets. Her last appearance came in the Women's Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka on October 10 at Sylhet International Stadium back in 2022. This suspension is a major development in the crackdown on anti-corruption in international cricket.