Bashar leads Bangladesh exodus to ICL

Eurosport - Mon, 15 Sep 11:38:00 2008

Six Bangladesh cricketers, including former captain Habibul Bashar have applied for retirement.

CRICKET 2007 Bangladesh Habibul Bashar - 0

Shahriar Nafees and Aftab Ahmed, all-rounder Farhad Reza, wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain along with Bashar did not give any reason for early retirement.

But a local media report on Sunday said at least 14 leading Bangladesh cricketers, including Bashar, were about to join the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The 36-year-old Bashar confirmed to Reuters he had been in discussions with the ICL but had not signed a contract yet.

"I can say only about myself that I have got the proposal from the ICL and am talking with them. But nothing has yet been finalised," he said.

Gazi Ashraf Hossain, chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's cricket operations committee said: "We have summoned all the six players to appear before the board on Tuesday to explain the reasons for retirement."

Ashraf said the players should not quit on a whim. They should understand that the board had played a big role in their development as cricketers.

The players dropped the letters by courier at the BCB before the office opened on Sunday.

Bashar is Bangladesh's most successful captain, having led them to their maiden test win and to 29 one-day international victories.

He is also the country's leading test run scorer with 3,026.

Besides the six, the Dhaka-based Bengali national daily Prothom Alo also identified Mohammad Rafique, Alok Kapali, Nazim Uddin, Manjurul Islam, Tapash Baishya, Mohammad Sharif, Mahbubul Karim and Golam Mabud as planning to join ICL.

The newspaper said the Bangladeshi players would all be in the same team, named the Dhaka Warriors.

Reuters

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  1. According to Bengali national daily Prothom all­ Bangladeshi players signed up to play for ICL will be­ called Dhakka Warriors. I think they should called­ Dhakka Loosers more like!! All those players who have­ signed up have done nothing to write home about at­ international level and possibly will not be in the­ future either. I think all those players who have­ signed up made a wise short term commercial decision. ­ I do not believe they could have any success in this­ money grabbing ICL league either. Those players­ decision to play in the ICL would allow new players an­ opportunity to test themselves in International cricket­ and hopefully do better than the Dhakka Loosers!!

    From P, on Mon 15 Sep 3:45PM

  2. That's very true Bobito, couldn't agree more,­ unfortunately I can't see the powers that be­ listening to a word the ICC say, and I think the ICC­ know it. The ICC appear fairly toothless at times but­ in this regard it may prove the entire backbone may­ have been removed.

    From nocohere, on Mon 15 Sep 9:02AM

  3. The ICC needs to get tough with Indian cricket and tell­ them to sort out their act. They have already decimated­ one country's international side in New Zealand and­ now it looks like they are going to do the same to­ Bangladesh. The people running the game in India, both­ officially and unofficially, are interested only in­ making a swift buck for themselves and have no regard­ for the future of cricket either in India or the rest­ of the World.

    From Bobito, on Sun 14 Sep 4:44PM
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