England’s Cricket Regulator has barred agent Moghees Ahmed from all ECB-sanctioned cricket activity for five years after ruling he tried to bribe a county head coach.
Ahmed, who fronts the International Cricketers Association and acts for several high-profile Pakistan players, approached the coach last winter with what the tribunal later called a “corrupt scheme”. In short, he offered the coach a slice of his commission if those players were picked up for franchise tournaments. The coach reported the conversation within hours and cooperated fully with investigators.
The regulator’s written decision, first handed down in March, found Ahmed in breach of four sections of the ECB anti-corruption code. His agent registration was suspended on the spot. The latest order makes that suspension formal and wide-ranging: five years out of the game, back-dated to 26 March 2025. The first 30 months must be served in full; the remaining two-and-a-half years are suspended, provided he commits no further offence and completes an approved education course.
Chris Haward, director of the Cricket Regulator, did not mince words. “Moghees Ahmed sought to engage a professional county coach in a corrupt scheme which would have had serious consequences for the integrity of cricket in England and Wales and beyond,” he said. “This lengthy ban rightly reflects the seriousness of the conspiracy Ahmed sought to embark upon. Offering, seeking or taking illicit financial inducements for selection is never acceptable and strikes at the heart of the integrity of our sport. Where corrupt conduct is suspected, it will be investigated and those responsible will be held to account.”
Haward also praised the unnamed coach. “This case came to light due to the courage of the coach and others who reported their concerns within moments of the corrupt offer being made. They have also greatly assisted the investigation and tribunal process and are commended for their conduct.”
Ahmed, contacted after the ruling, offered a blunt rebuttal. He said he “categorically denies all allegations” and “rejects the decisions of the ECB tribunal”. He added that he is “considering legal options to challenge the decision”.
What happens next? Practically, Ahmed cannot act for players in any competition overseen by the ECB, from county cricket to The Hundred and any England series staged at home. Overseas deals are technically outside the board’s remit, yet most leagues ask agents to hold clean registrations with their home boards. That may close doors elsewhere too.
Agents are not regulated in exactly the same way everywhere – the PCB, for instance, runs its own register – but most anti-corruption codes have broadly similar wording. A former county director of cricket, speaking on background, said the verdict “sends a clear message that kick-backs for selection won’t be tolerated, whether it’s a minor T20 league or the biggest franchise around.”
The broader lesson? Franchises and governing bodies can write ever thicker rulebooks, yet the quickest safeguard remains a coach or player willing to speak up when something smells off. Here, that safeguard worked.
