‘Cricket has won’

The scene had been chaotic a day earlier. Fans were left disgruntled, and the cricketers were locked in a standoff with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Yet Friday delivered an emphatic response, as the 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) resumed with the start of the Dhaka phase, a day after Bangladesh cricket was jolted by a players’ boycott.

It was the fans’ reaction that best captured the shift in mood. Fans, who had turned up for both BPL matches on Thursday, only to witness no action on the field, were seen in numbers on Friday. Loud roars echoed around the ground as the crowd cheered every wicket and boundary, epitomising the enduring bond between the fans and the game in the country.

While spectators had been repelled by security the previous day, the atmosphere on Friday underlined their commitment to cricket. Even as Chattogram Royals and Sylhet Titans played out a low-scoring afternoon contest, the focus never drifted from the action on the field.

“Even after so many things that happened, that we have a full gallery today and the games are happening, is proof that cricket has won,” BPL member secretary Iftekhar Rahman Mithu told The Daily Star yesterday.

The turmoil was sparked by remarks from BCB director Najmul Islam on Wednesday night, when he said the board “did not owe to the cricketers and it never asked for any compensation from cricketers” for poor performances. The comments triggered a chain of unpleasant developments.

While uncertainty still lingers over Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, the BPL itself was left on the brink of an indefinite postponement. The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) called for a boycott unless Najmul resigned. In the aftermath, Najmul was removed as chairman of the board’s finance committee, and both BPL matches scheduled for Thursday were postponed -- and were eventually played yesterday.

Late on Thursday night, however, CWAB reconsidered its stance and agreed to return to the field if Najmul “apologised publicly” and the process of reviewing his directorship continued.

“It was a gruelling day, but when you get an atmosphere like this, and given the fact that good sense prevailed among everyone, this is highly satisfying.

“The players compromised because everyone wanted the games to take place. This is great news for Bangladesh cricket. Despite all the criticism and discussions, people of Bangladesh love cricket tremendously,” Mithu added, revealing that he finally slept soundly after a day of tough negotiations.

On the field, Shoriful Islam’s career-best T20 figures of five for nine helped Chattogram secure a five-wicket win over Noakhali, and his celebratory dance after a wicket reflected the easing of tensions.

Mithu later confirmed that Najmul is “supposed to reply” to the show-cause letter issued on Thursday, stating that the “process will go on”. But for now, however, despite all that transpired, the Dhaka phase of the BPL has begun with renewed promise.