Special courts will be set up at Bangladesh’s cricket stadiums in an attempt to stop gambling during the ensuing tri-nation series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Gamblers caught during the series starting from January 15 will be hauled from the stands and tried on the spot by judges in temporary courtrooms called ‘mobile courts.’
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief executive officer (BCB) Nizamuddin Chowdhury said it on Monday, according to Times of India.
Mr Chowdhury announced, "Betting will be treated as a public nuisance."
"Anyone,” he said, “found involved will be convicted and punished instantly in the stadium."
Spectators at games in Bangladesh have been known to exploit a brief delay between live play and the official broadcast of results by placing frantic bets.
The special courts will continue to target gamblers during Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh, which starts at the end of January after the tri-nation series.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will play two Test matches and two Twenty20 internationals.
The BCB authorities already threw nearly 80 spectators out of matches for placing bets using their mobile phones during the latest edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 tournament, which concluded last month.
Meanwhile, a source informs that only 60-70 per cent of the tickets in the tri-nation series and the series against Sri Lanka will be sold.
BCB will hold the rest which will be given to the members of the board and other bodies as complimentary tickets.