DHAKA: A players boycott which postponed matches in the Bangladesh Premier League on Thursday prompted the Bangladesh Cricket Board to force out an official after his disparaging remarks about players started the disruption.
The board removed Nazmul Islam as chairman of the finance committee to meet player demands that he resign.
Two scheduled matches in the Bangladesh Premier League and four in the Dhaka Cricket League on Thursday were not played after the cricketers — many of them Bangladesh internationals — did not turn up at the grounds.
Neither the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh, the players’ body, nor the BCB said the boycott was over, putting in doubt whether Friday’s games in both domestic leagues will go ahead.
Nazmul said on Wednesday that he believed national cricketers should return the “crores and crores of taka” that the BCB spends on them if Bangladesh withdraws from the men’s T20 World Cup in India next month.
It’s a ripple from the BCB decision not to play World Cup matches in India after premier fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The BCB wants its World Cup games moved to co-host Sri Lanka.
The players immediately threatened a domestic boycott if Nazmul didn’t resign and the BCB distanced itself from Nazmul’s comments. Then the BCB president got rid of him on Thursday.
“The decision ... is aimed at ensuring the continued smooth and effective functioning of the board’s affairs. Until further notice, the BCB president will assume the role of acting chairman of the finance committee,” a BCB statement said.
“The BCB reiterates that the interests of the cricketers remain its highest priority. The board remains fully committed to upholding the honor and dignity of all players under its jurisdiction.”
Bangladesh is scheduled to play three World Cup group games in Kolkata, including its opener against the West Indies on Feb. 7. One game is scheduled to be hosted in Mumbai.
Players boycott forces Bangladesh cricket to remove official for disparaging remarks
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Players boycott forces Bangladesh cricket to remove official for disparaging remarks
- The board removed Nazmul Islam as chairman of the finance committee to meet player demands that he resign
- Two scheduled matches in the Bangladesh Premier League and four in the Dhaka Cricket League on Thursday were not played
Alcaraz powers into Indian Wells quarter-finals
- Alcaraz will next face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, who earlier beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-2
World number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run at Indian Wells, beating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-1 7-6(2) on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals in the California desert.
The Spaniard relied on a near-flawless service game to seize control of the match, racing through the opening set in just 37 minutes after breaking Ruud’s serve three times.
Thirteenth-seeded Ruud raised his level in the second set and forced a tiebreak, hoping to push the match to a decider, but Alcaraz kept his foot on the gas to seal his 15th consecutive victory of the season to reach the quarter-finals for a fifth straight year.
“The conditions were difficult to be honest. Today the ball was tough to control but we both played great,” two-time champion Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.
“My first set was incredible I’m really happy of playing that kind of level, really happy to get through and hopefully I’ll play this level on the next round.”
Alcaraz will next face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, who earlier beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-2, with the Spaniard looking to avenge a defeat to the Briton at last year’s Paris Masters.
SWIATEK, PEGULA THROUGH
World number two Iga Swiatek delivered a dominant 6-2 6-0 victory over Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova, reeling off 10 consecutive games to secure her fifth win over the Czech, whom she also beat at the same stage of the tournament last year.
“I felt I was playing better and better, just great,” Swiatek said.
“I love playing here ... It’s a great place to play tennis, hopefully I can keep doing that until the end.”
Swiatek, chasing a third Indian Wells title, will face ninth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals after the Ukrainian advanced when Katerina Siniakova retired injured.
American fifth seed Jessica Pegula overcame Belinda Bencic 6-3 7-6(5) to secure her first victory in five meetings between the pair.
Pegula, coming off a dramatic comeback win over Jelena Ostapenko, took control as she clinched the opening set — her first ever against the Swiss — before edging a tightly contested tiebreak to close out the match.
Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev beat Alex Michelsen 6-2 6-4 in a commanding performance, needing just one hour and 27 minutes to dismantle the American and maintain his strong form after winning last month’s Dubai Open.
