DHAKA: Players boycotted the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match scheduled for today following a dispute involving a senior official of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The match between Chattogram Riders and Noakhali Express at the Mirpur venue in Dhaka could not begin as both teams failed to arrive at the ground for the toss.
The boycott was announced after controversial remarks made by BCB Director Nazmul Islam, prompting cricketers to suspend all cricket-related activities.
Bangladeshi players had warned of a complete boycott of cricket in all formats and demanded the resignation of the director.
In response to the growing situation, the Bangladesh Cricket Board removed Nazmul Islam from his position.
He was serving as the Chairman of the BCB Finance Committee.
The BCB issued an official statement stating that, after reviewing recent developments and in the best interest of the game, the Board President had decided to relieve Nazmul Islam of his duties in accordance with the BCB constitution.
The BCB President will now serve as the acting Chairman of the Finance Committee.
The board expressed hope that players would continue playing with professionalism and commitment for the betterment of Bangladesh cricket and would participate in the Bangladesh Premier League to ensure the continuity of the tournament.
The controversy began when Nazmul Islam stated that the cricket board does not gain financially from World Cup participation and that opting out of the T20 World Cup in India would not cause any loss to the board, although players would suffer due to the loss of match fees.
He further said that players would not be financially compensated if they skipped the World Cup and criticized the heavy spending on players despite poor performances.
Following these remarks, players initially threatened a boycott, which later materialized during today’s BPL match.
