CricketBCCI distances itself
New Delhi
Indian Cricket League chairman Kapil Dev (C) talks to rebel Bangladeshi cricketers (L-R) Alok Kapali, Shahriar Nafees, Dhiman Ghosh and Habibul Bashar during a press conference to announce the launch of ICL's Season 2 and induction of the tournament's ninth team Dhaka Warriors in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
As the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) announced the signing of 13 leading cricketers from Bangladesh at a glitzy function here on Tuesday, the Indian cricket board sought to distance itself from the development saying it was an internal matter of the neighbouring country."It does not concern with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is an internal matter of Bangladesh Cricket Board," said BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla late on Tuesday night.
"It's for them to study the situation and to act accordingly", he added.Earlier in the evening, former Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar, Alok Kapali, Shariar Nafees and Dhiman Ghosh were paraded by ICL as members of its Dhaka Warriors team in the Twenty20 league in the presence of former India captain Kapil Dev.
The ICL also announced names Forhad Reza, Monjurul Islam, Mahbubul Karim, Golam Mabud, Mohammad Rafique, Mohammad Sharif, Mosharraf Hossain and Tapash Baisya.Asked what impact their defection to ICL will have on cricket back home, Bashar, for one, said it would leave a vacuum no doubt for sometime but there were enough talent to fill the void.Bashar, who spoke on behalf of the three other Bangladeshi cricketers who were present, however appeared to send contradictory signals. While he said they joined ICL after applying for retirement from Bangladesh cricket, he also said 'we are still ready to play for Bangladesh if the cricket board allows us'.Bashar refuted the charge that they were "anti-national" by playing for ICL.
"We are ready to serve the country whenever we are called to join the national side", he said.Nafees, Kapali and Dhiman said they did not join the ICL out of any sense of hurt by not being invited by Indian Cricket Board-sponsored and ICC-approved Indian Premiere League (IPL). "We are professionals and we want to play and earn our livelihood," said Nafees.Dhiman said both IPL and ICL tournaments are big hits in Bangladesh and 'we just want to delight the fans back home and make them proud by our performance'.Kapil expressed the hope that Bangladesh cricket would remain fine without the players who joined ICL but added 'if it affect their cricket don't blame us for that'.
The former India captain said ICL has no problem of these Bangladeshi cricketers return home and play for their country as it was ICC and BCCI which 'boycotted' ICL.Kapil pointed out that last year ICL put together 'Lahore Badshah' team comprising rebel Pakistani cricketers and this year it is the 'Dhaka Warriors'.