Bangladesh Cricketers’ body calls for BCB director’s resignation

The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) demanded the immediate resignation of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director M Najmul Islam over his controversial remarks on player compensation amid T20 World Cup uncertainty, The Daily Star reported.

CWAB president Mohammad Mithun warned that players would boycott all cricketing activities from Thursday if Najmul failed to step down before the first Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match of the season between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

“The remark made by the BCB director has hurt the cricket fraternity greatly, and it is not acceptable. We demand his resignation,” Mithun said during an online press conference on Wednesday night, according to The Daily Star.

The controversy stems from Najmul’s comments earlier in the day, when he said the BCB was under no obligation to compensate players if Bangladesh missed the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

“The question [of compensation] does not even arise. We have invested so much in them, but they haven’t been able to achieve anything anywhere. Have we won a single global trophy till now?” Najmul was quoted as saying.

He further remarked that the board could have demanded money back from players after poor performances in global tournaments, but never did so.

Following the backlash, CWAB held internal discussions before announcing its demand. Soon after, the BCB issued a press release distancing itself from Najmul’s remarks and expressing regret over the incident.

“The board expresses its sincere regret for remarks that may be deemed inappropriate, offensive, or hurtful. Such comments do not reflect the values, principles, or official position of the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” the statement read, as reported by The Daily Star.

The board clarified that it does not take responsibility for comments made by any director unless officially issued through its designated spokesperson or Media and Communications Department, and added that disciplinary action would be taken against anyone whose conduct harms the reputation of Bangladesh cricket.

CWAB has now also demanded a public apology from Najmul and sought appropriate action from BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul. Bulbul had earlier said the director was asked to issue a clarification, while noting that the comments were made in a personal capacity.