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New Delhi: Bangladesh's professional cricketers could decline to play unless an official of their cricket board doesn't resign before the next Bangladesh Premier League game on Thursday (January 15).
Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh served this ultimatum on Wednesday after Bangladesh Cricket Board's finance committee chairman Najmul Islam said only players would be at a loss if the country opts out of the T20 World Cup.
At an emergency online press conference hours after Islam's declaration, CWAB president Mohammad Mithun expressed displeasure over what he deemed as dehumanizing comments.
"The words that the board director has used about the players are completely unacceptable to the players. It has deeply hurt the entire body of cricketers," Mithun said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
"We have even given the board a lot of time on the First Division, and still we haven't seen any positive result. And the words that this board director is repeatedly using have deeply hurt the entire cricket community, and the players are in no way willing to accept this.
"So if he does not resign before tomorrow's match, then from tomorrow onward we are announcing a boycott of all cricket activities."
Bangladesh have cited security concerns for refusal to play their T20 World Cup group games in India with Islam insisting that players would shoulder financial burden of a pull out.
"There will be no loss for the Bangladesh Cricket Board [if we don't take part in the World Cup] as the loss will be for the players," Najmul said.
"Up to 2027, our revenue will not be hampered because in the 2022 ICC financial meeting, this was already fixed. Future World Cups or future bilateral or international events may have relevance, for example whether teams will come to us under the FTP. Those are valid questions. But this World Cup does not affect that.
"The players will lose because when they play, they receive a match fee for every match. If someone participates in a match, or becomes man of the match, or has some kind of special performance, then according to ICC rules and match regulations they get what is due to them.
"That money belongs exactly to the player. The board has no connection with that. Meaning the board does not gain or lose anything from this. Whether Bangladesh plays here or not, the board has no profit or loss from this, at least not for this World Cup," he added.
To limit damage BCB released a formal statement, expressing "sincere regret for remarks that may be deemed inappropriate, offensive, or hurtful" and distanced itself from Najmul's comments.
BCB reaffirmed that "players remain at the heart of Bangladesh cricket" and promised "appropriate disciplinary action", stating that Najmul's "should not be interpreted as representing the views or policies of the board".
