‘Please save cricket’

“Please save cricket, that’s all there is to say.”

The comment, made on condition of anonymity by a leading Bangladesh cricketer, reflects growing frustration among players after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reinstated director M Najmul Islam to his previous role as finance committee chairman, highlighting the sense of helplessness felt by cricketers under a board perceived to be failing to honour its commitments.

Najmul had earlier been relieved of his duties as finance committee chairman following a wave of protests by cricketers. The protests stemmed from remarks Najmul made on January 14, when he said the board did not owe players any compensation if Bangladesh missed out on the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, arguing that the board does not seek refunds from players for poor performances at global events.

“This is good news,” one player remarked sarcastically after Najmul’s reappointment. “You can understand how things are happening here,” he added, underscoring the prevailing sense of discontent.

Najmul’s comments prompted cricketers to boycott all forms of cricket, leading to the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) being halted for a day. Players eventually returned to the field “for the greater interest of cricket,” scaling back their initial demand for Najmul’s complete removal from the board. Instead, they sought a public apology and the continuation of the process regarding his directorship, as promised by the board.

However, no apology was issued. Najmul also responded to a show-cause letter from the BCB a day after the stipulated deadline.

In fact, it was learned that during a board meeting on Saturday, Najmul enjoyed the support of board directors when the decision to reinstate him was taken. A BCB source further claimed that the disciplinary committee had submitted its observations to the board and that “by the president’s direction, he [Najmul] was reappointed.”

Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) president Mohammad Mithun, visibly unhappy with the development, was reluctant to dwell on the matter but made clear where cricketers stand in the board’s list of priorities.

“We made our demands known openly and they made commitments openly. So who is not keeping the commitments should be clear. The responsibility also lies with those who are not keeping commitments,” Mithun told The Daily Star on Sunday.

The BCB media committee could not be reached for comment regarding Najmul’s reinstatement at the time of filing this report.

With the Najmul issue unfolding alongside Bangladesh’s absence from the upcoming T20 World Cup -- following the ICC’s rejection of the board’s request to relocate matches outside India -- the current state of affairs has understandably left the game’s primary stakeholders increasingly concerned about the future of cricket in the country.