DHAKA: Bangladesh bat­s­man Sabbir Rahman has had his central contract revoked by the national board for assaulting a young cricket fan who taunted him during a match last month.

The 26-year-old was also slapped with a six-month ban from the domestic game and a fine of two million taka ($24,000) over the incident, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan said.

The national contract for Bangladeshi players was due to go into effect on January 1, 2018.

The decision came after was found to have assaulted a young fan, believed to be aged 12, who had taunted him during a first-class Nati­onal Cricket League match in Sabbir’s home town of Rajshahi on Dec 21. During an innings break, the middle-order batsman went beh­i­nd the sightscreen and beat the boy. He was also under fire for arguing with the match referee when he was called for a hearing.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2018