Unrest in Bangladesh cricket shows no signs of easing; in fact, the turmoil is intensifying. It is still uncertain whether Bangladesh will travel to India next month to play in the T20 World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has informed the ICC that they will not, under any circumstances, go to India to participate in the World Cup.
Amid this uncertainty, a fresh controversy has erupted in Bangladesh cricket. Players have demanded the resignation of BCB director Nazmul Islam, who had called former captain Tamim Iqbal an “agent of India.” The cricketers made it clear that if Nazmul does not step down, they will not play cricket in any format.
Nazmul had earlier drawn severe criticism from the country’s cricketing community for his controversial remarks about Tamim Iqbal, prompting strong reactions from current national team players as well. However, he did not stop there. On Wednesday, he made another inflammatory statement, saying that skipping a T20 World Cup once would not cause any major loss. He further questioned what would happen if, after spending crores of taka to send players to the World Cup, they fail to deliver would the money be demanded back from the players?
These comments proved to be the final straw. Bangladesh Cricketers’ Welfare Association president Mohammad Mithun stated unequivocally that if Nazmul Islam does not resign, players will refuse to take part in any form of cricket Tests, ODIs, T20s, or even the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Notably, two BPL matches are scheduled for Thursday, which now face serious uncertainty following the players’ announcement.
It is not just the players who have distanced themselves from Nazmul; the Bangladesh Cricket Board has also done so. Following his controversial remarks, the BCB swiftly issued a statement describing his comments as “deeply unfortunate and disrespectful,” and completely contrary to the board’s values. The board clarified that it will not take responsibility for any controversial remarks made by an individual director, adding that unless an official statement is issued by the board’s spokesperson, such comments should not be considered the BCB’s official stance.
