Bangladesh News

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday imposed a ten-year ban each on cricketers who joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The harsh but inevitable decision came a day after 13 rebel cricketers including six centrally contracted players signed for the ICL under the banner “Dhaka Warriors”.

“The board has decided to impose bans of ten years on contracted and all registered players, officials and technical staff of the BCB who participate in cricket events which are not authorised by the International Cricket Council [ICC] and BCB,” said BCB president Major General Sina Ibn Jamali while disclosing the outcome of the board’s emergency meeting at a crowded press conference in Mirpur yesterday.

The ICL, a Twenty20 event which was introduced by the ESSEL Group in India last year, was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI decision was also adopted by the ICC and since then it was termed as an event forbidden by the cricketing fraternity.

The decision of the BCB meant that the domestic and international doors for the thirteen ICL-bound cricketers including former national skipper Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed, Dhiman Ghosh, Alok Kapali had been closed.

“The players, officials, technical staff concerned will be banned from all events and competitions organised by the BCB and will not be allowed to use BCB facilities,” said Jamali during a rare presence in front of the media.

Putting emphasis on the ban, Jamali also warned that one must consider the consequences of taking part in this kind of competition before signing the deal.

“I request everybody to think twice or even thrice before taking such a decision. The consequences will not be good for them. Players should remember that the country not only invested money but also put enormous efforts to shape up a player,” said Jamali.

“We will also try to know who have masterminded the whole thing,” he added while referring to last Sunday’s mass resignation that put the board in a spot of bother on international scene.

“The board took the decisions in line with the ICC policy on unauthorised cricket events which will be applicable from now on.

“The board is also looking into the legal aspects before initiating appropriate proceedings against the players who have reportedly joined the ICL,” added a BCB statement.

Meanwhile, the board has also decided to review the existing format of the player contracts to discourage such fallout by cricketers in the future.