Published 17:24 IST, October 21st 2019
Bangladesh players to boycott India tour until BCB meets their demands
Bangladesh cricketers have announced that they will not be taking part in any cricketing activity for the foreseeable future until all their 11 demands are met.
In a major development ahead of the upcoming India vs Bangladesh T20I series, Bangladesh's cricketers announced on Monday that they will not be taking part in any cricketing activity for the foreseeable future until their demands regarding the development of the sport are met.
Bangladesh cricket: The reason that triggered the boycott
According to a report in a leading media portal, the trigger seems to have happened due to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)'s decision on the BPL, which has reduced the average professional cricketer's earning to an all-time low starting this season. The players' woes were furthered after the BCB did not consider to raise match fees in the first-class competition that began earlier this month in addition to the salary cap applied to the Dhaka Premier League. It used to be an open market for club-to-club transfer for players for the last several years.
Bangladesh cricket: Players who came ahead with the demands
According to the report, the demands were read by Naeem Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Enamul Haque Jnr, Anamul Haque and Farhad Reza with 50+ cricketers standing behind them as the tour to India next month has come under serious question.
Bangladesh cricket: Players' demands
The players who have gone on a boycott released a list of 11 demands on Monday, including a reversal of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's decision last month to abandon the Bangladesh Premier League's franchise-based model. Those present at the press conference, at the National Cricket Academy in Dhaka, included Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah. Shakib added that once all the demands are fulfilled, players will be back on duty at all levels of the game in the country.
BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury has vowed to resolve the problem soon. He says that he has just been informed about the development and denies the presence of a revolt as the players are yet to contact the board formally. Further developments remain to be seen as Bangladesh are set to take India on the first match of their tour in Delhi on Sunday, November 3 in a T20I.
Updated 18:43 IST, October 21st 2019