Kent cricketer Darren Stevens has been found not guilty by an International Cricket Council (ICC) tribunal of failing to report an illegal approach while playing in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2013.
The 37-year-old all-rounder had been charged with two counts of failing to report a corrupt approach while playing for the Dhaka Gladiators, and faced a five-year suspension from cricket if found guilty.
"I would officially like to thank the tribunal for their verdict today and in particular their determination of non guilty findings in charges brought against me by the Bangladesh Cricket Board," Stevens said in a statement on Kent's website.
"I can assure all of the fans of the Dhaka Gladiators, the people of Bangladesh and all cricket followers, that I have always played the game of cricket honestly, with integrity and to the best of my ability.
"I have loved playing cricket in Bangladesh, as well as everywhere else in the world and I hope that I will be allowed to continue to play cricket globally."
Stevens had always denied the charges which followed an ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit investigation into an alleged conspiracy within the Bangladesh franchise to engage in match-fixing and spot-fixing during the tournament.
Seven people were charged by the ICC with fixing-related offences and two with failing to report corrupt approaches made to them, one of whom was Stevens.
Image: Darren Stevens
Photograph: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
