Asif Nazrul slams BCB director Najmul over ‘insulting remarks’ on cricketers
Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul weighed in on the ongoing controversy over Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director M Najmul Islam, criticing him for his “insulting remarks” about cricketers and said the board will take appropriate action against him.
“At this moment, we need to send a global message that we are a united nation. The cricket board, the cricketers, and cricket fans -- we are all united when it comes to national dignity. For someone in a responsible position to insult all cricketers at such a time is deeply unfortunate and difficult to comprehend,” Asif Nazrul said while briefing journalists at Foreign Service Academy today.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. However, Nazrul said the matter remained an internal issue of the BCB. “The board will take appropriate action,” he said.
Nazrul also referred to the BCB’s ongoing discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over relocating Bangladesh’s matches in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from India, citing security concerns following Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“When a cricketer, Mustafizur, was humiliated, the entire nation stood up in protest. Yet, at the same time, a director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board made insulting remarks about all Bangladeshi cricketers. As a cricket fan, I find this extremely irresponsible,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the BCB relieved Najmul from his responsibilities as the chairman of its finance committee, following demands from the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), which called for his resignation from the board over the comments.
On Wednesday, Najmul told the media that the board owes no compensation to players if Bangladesh miss the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, arguing that the BCB has never sought refunds from cricketers after poor performances at global events.
Last night, CWAB had threatened a boycott of cricket if Najmul was not removed before the start of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) matches in Dhaka today. The players followed through on their threat, boycotting the days’ BPL matches.
After the players did not turn up for the day’s first match, BCB director and media committee chairman Amzad Hossain told The Daily Star that the entire tournament could get postponed indefinitely if they also boycotted the second match -- which they did.
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