Bangladesh Cricket Boycott Threat Shakes BPL
According to sports news headlines today, Mohamed Nazmul Islam who is BCB director, has been the cause of an internal players’ protest in Bangladesh Cricket. Unless he resigns his position at BCB, all the players for Bangladesh will refuse to play in any format. Nazmul made a very public statement that upset many players and ex-players in the past few days. As a result of this comment Nazmul has angered everyone involved in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The National Football Federation (BCF) has initiated a boycott of all national sporting events planned by the BCB. It includes the National Cricket League (NCL), the BCF Women’s National Cricket League, the Total Experience Premier Cricket League (TEPCL), the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and the BCF Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
The boycott is being led by the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) and other former professional cricketers. The President of the CWAB, Mohammad Mithun, recently issued a warning to the players. They must be very careful with of their actions regarding participate in any future BCF events.
If Mithun does not resign by the time of tomorrow’s match, then all cricket in Bangladesh will be boycotted starting from the BPL. The threat to boycott could create an immediate impact on the BPL. It is because two matches are scheduled to take place on January 15.
Unity from Veteran Athletes
Many of the top names in Bangladesh cricket have come out in support of the boycott. According to ESPNcricinfo, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan, Mithun, and Khaled Mahmud, coach of the Noakhali District team are among the team leaders. They have demonstrated their support for the boycott initiative.
The collective support for a boycott by these cricket stars shows the seriousness of the matter. It indicates the likelihood that the BPL will not continue as planned.
Tension Surrounding the T20 World Cup
Nazmul’s comments came during the ongoing discussion regarding Bangladesh’s decision to forfeit matches in India. Might have to cancel matches prior to the start of the T20 World Cup due to security concerns.
This issue became more serious when the BCCI directed the Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their roster.
When asked about the potential financial losses to the board for not being involved with the T20 World Cup or the financial impact to the players if they were unable to play in the World Cup, Nazmul responded that there would be no financial impact on the board, and that the players would be the only ones affected. His statements added fuel to the fire for the cricketing community.
A Response from BCB Dissociating Itself From Director’s Opinions
In reaction to the criticism, BCB has issued a formal statement distancing themselves from Nazmul Islam’s comments. The board expressed disappointment about remarks which could be perceived as disrespectful and has stressed that these opinions do not represent the official position of BCB.
BCB has stated that they plan on enforcing appropriate disciplinary action against anyone who makes statements that disrespect the players or harm the reputation of cricket in Bangladesh.
A Cycle of Controversy Continues
Nazmul has been subject to criticism previously this week. Earlier in the week, Nazmul and another board member reacted very strongly to comments made by former captain Tamim Iqbal when Tamim asked that the board carefully reevaluate their decisions related to the T20 World Cup.
Bangladesh cricket is currently at a very important crossroad; as players join forces, tensions are rising. This critical stage could affect the immediate future of cricket in Bangladesh and also beyond.
