The rebellious attitude of Bangladeshi cricketers, enraged by the derogatory comments of Bangladesh Cricket Board Director Nazmul Islam, has not calmed down yet. BCB has removed Nazmul as the head of its finance committee, even after this the cricketers are not satisfied. He has bluntly said that he will enter the cricket field only after Nazmul Islam publicly apologizes. Due to this attitude of the players, Bangladesh Premier League is hanging in the balance. On Thursday, two of its matches were postponed due to the cricketers’ boycott. Nazmul has been removed from the post of Chairman of BCB’s Finance Committee but still remains on the post of Board Director. However, considering the attitude of the cricketers, BCB can also remove him from the post of director. The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) said on Thursday that the players can return to the cricket field from Friday provided that BCB Director M Nazmul apologizes publicly and the process of removing him from this post should also be expedited.
Nazmul remains the director of BCB
Under pressure from players and the public, the BCB had to take action and Nazmul was removed from the post of chairman of the board’s finance committee. Nazmul, however, remains a director of the board and can be removed from the post due to disciplinary reasons. BCB said in the statement, ‘The Bangladesh Cricket Board wishes to inform that after reviewing the recent developments and in the best interest of the organization, the BCB President has decided to relieve Nazmul Islam of his responsibilities as Chairman of the Finance Committee with immediate effect.’ It further said, ‘The BCB President will hold the post of Acting Chairman of the Finance Committee until further orders. The BCB reiterates that the interests of the cricketers are its top priority. The Board is fully committed to maintaining the honor and dignity of all players under its jurisdiction.
On which statement of Nazmul is there an uproar?
The uproar began when Nazmul, while reiterating Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India for next month’s T20 World Cup due to ‘security concerns’, dismissed players’ concerns over remuneration if the country pulled out of the tournament.
He said that the players will not be compensated as they have not justified the support they have received so far and have not won a single ICC (International Cricket Council) competition. This statement caused quite an uproar and CWAB demanded his immediate removal.
BCB also issued a show cause notice to Nazmul.
BCB engaged in damage control
The BCB said in a press release, ‘Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reiterates its regret over the recent objectionable comments made by a member of the BCB. The BCB acknowledges the concern raised by these comments and reiterates its commitment to professionalism, respect for cricketers and the values that underpin the game of cricket.’ According to the release, ‘The Board has already initiated formal disciplinary action against the concerned Board member. A show cause notice has been issued and the person concerned has been directed to give a written reply within 48 hours.’Bangladesh are refusing to go to India for the T20 World Cup and are citing security concerns as fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was ruled out of the IPL on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). ‘Surrounding events’ were cited as the reason for Mustafizur’s ouster. The BCB is still in talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to find a way out after the global governing body expressed reluctance to shift Bangladesh’s four matches in India to Sri Lanka.
Nazmul also called Tamim Iqbal an ‘agent of India’
Nazmul had earlier called former captain Tamim Iqbal an ‘agent of India’ when he called for handling the standoff with India with patience and warned that the impact of decisions taken today would be visible for 10 years. Bangladesh Cricketers Welfare Association (CWAB) had condemned Nazmul’s statement. Bangladesh’s Test captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto had also appealed for a pragmatic approach and this It was also told that due to the current situation, the players are under a lot of stress. CWAB President Mohammad Mithun said before action was taken against Nazmul, ‘We are talking with BCB on many issues but no solution has been found. Now we are disappointed. Cricketers are playing for honour. We asked him to apologize but he became more adamant. He cannot make such comments. He said, ‘They are taking too much time to resolve the issues of the women’s team. Nine players were thrown out of BPL without any evidence for alleged corruption in BPL. The facilities for women players are also less.
Bangladeshi cricketer in cross mood
Senior all-rounder Mehdi Hasan Miraj said, ‘We always say that the cricket board is our guardian but it is very disappointing for one of them to say such a thing. The cricket board runs on the money of ICC and sponsors. The maximum we pay is 25-30 percent. Shanto and current T20 captain Liton Das also gave their views on this controversial issue. Liton said, ‘As a player, whether it is a man or a woman, he should be paid better. We have good money and BCB should use it properly. He said, ‘We always talk about gender equality and women should feel safe. I feel this matter should have been resolved as soon as possible but the dates just keep moving forward.’ Shanto said, ‘The women’s team has also made some big achievements. We want to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
