The Indian businessman who was banned from cricket for two years in April for breaching the sport’s anti-corruption code has emerged as a key figure in the case of UAE players Mohammed Naveed and Shaiman Anwar.
Deepak Agarwal was suspended for "obstructing or delaying an investigation, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant" to the ICC's anti-corruption unit.
The length of his sanction, with six months suspended, reflected his swift admission of guilt as well as foregoing his right to a tribunal.
The ICC also acknowledged at that point that Agarwal was helping them with their enquiries into other cases of suspected corruption.
“He made a prompt admission of his breach of the [code] and continues to provide substantial assistance to the ACU in relation to several investigations involving other participants,” Alex Marshall, the ICC general manager of integrity, said.
“This cooperation is reflected in his sanction.”
Agarwal had also previously been named as "an individual known to the ACU and suspected of involvement in cricket" in the investigation that saw Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan banned last October.
Now it is understood he is a central figure in the investigation into suspended UAE players Naveed and Shaiman, too.
The duo were banned on the eve of the T20 World Cup Qualifier last year, after being charged with a variety of breaches of the anti-corruption code.
When those charges were announced, Naveed admitted he had failed to report an approach, but denied ever contriving to fix any aspects of matches.
The former UAE captain said he and Shaiman had met with someone he was told was an official for a T10 franchise, near Naveed’s home in Sharjah, on October 1, 2019.
Naveed said he only knew the figure as “Vicky”. He has since been informed it was Agarwal, whose suspension from cricket in April was brought about after he was briefly listed as a co-owner of the Sindhis T10 team.
Naveed has said he left the meeting as soon as he understood it to be a corrupt approach, which it is believed included mention of an offer for Dh100,000 to fix matches in the Abu Dhabi T10.
It is also understood a physical altercation between Naveed and Agarwal took place.
Neither Naveed nor Shaiman reported the approach, with Agarwal himself alerting the ACU five days later.
Four days after that, on October 10, Naveed, Shaiman, and another player, Qadeer Ahmed – who faces separate charges – were led away from a UAE practice match against Namibia in Dubai for questioning by ACU officers.
All three were formally charged six days later, just before the start of the T20 Qualifier in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Following the controversy, the UAE team missed out on a place at the World Cup, despite starting the competition as the second-highest ranked side in it.
Naveed hopes to defend himself against the charges of “fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly” matches.
He has admitted to negligence in “failing to disclose to the ACU [without unnecessary delay] full details of any approaches or invitations received by the participant to engage in corrupt conduct” under the code.
That charge carries with it a minimum sanction of six months, and a maximum of five years.
Naveed and Shaiman have been suspended for the past eight months, pending the outcome of the investigation.
“I made a big mistake by not reporting [the approach] to ICC and [the Emirates Cricket Board],” Naveed said on Wednesday.
“My life was going very well, my performance in cricket, and my business.
"God gave me everything. I accept my mistake in not reporting.”
Shaiman could not be reached for comment.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
