BCB to look into bribe allegation in district cricket

Mohammad Naim, a young cricketer from Bagerhat, complained to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that district coach Abu Taher had allegedly demanded 30,000 Taka as a bribe to include him in the Bagerhat district Under-16 team. 

BCB on Saturday summoned both Naim and coach Taher at the home of cricket in Mirpur for a hearing. And according to the chairman of the BCB's age-level tournament committee Obeid Rashid Nizam, the board has started the investigation and will take strict action if the matter is proved.

"We had a hearing today and we called both the player and the coach. We have to look at the authenticity and whatever he has come up with it has to be substantiated. It is still early days as we want to get to the bottom of the matter as the board president Nazmul Hassan has zero-tolerance when it comes to disciplinary issues," Obeid told The Daily Star.

15 selected cricketers from the Bagerhat Under-16 team were set to play three matches in Narail with the top performers getting an opportunity to train for the Khulna divisional team. A total of 35 cricketers were shortlisted for the Bagerhat side following two practice matches played among themselves. 

According to Naim, despite scoring a fifty in two games, he was not selected as he was reluctant to pay off coach Taher.

"My complaint was that the coach of Bagerhat had asked for Tk 30000 bribe from me and I had emailed this to the board [BCB]. I informed the board everything including the games and also about the selection process," said Naim to the media in Mirpur where he went on to add that those who agreed to pay off the coach were selected in the team.