BCB to take hard line on Shakib

Bangladesh Cricket Board will be taking a hard line on the issue of Shakib Al Hasan’s availability to represent Bangladesh in international cricket to prevent further mishaps.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan, Chairman of the cricket operations committee Jalal Yunus, and team director Khaled Mahmud- all expressed their utter disgust regarding Shakib’s hide and seek about playing in the South Africa tour.

Nazmul told the reporters at his residence on Monday that he will no longer tolerate whimsical decisions from players. On Tuesday, Jalal and Mahmud also echoed the same tone while talking to the reporters at the BCB premises.

Jalal said, “Shakib gave me a call when he was on his way to the airport. At that time, I was also on my way to attend another program. Shakib told me that he is not motivated, his mental state is not good, he wanted to take a break. He never said that he will not play, he said that it’s better for him not to play.”

“I said, ‘You must be stressed. Take your time, fix your mind, and then come back to us.’ Later, I found that he gave such a statement at the airport, which was totally unexpected because he had told the BCB president that he will play in the Test series. The two-day period is getting over tonight, either he will inform us or we will know what he wants and decide,” he added. 

Jalal also said that it was time to say yes or no.

“We must decide so that we can make a plan. Whatever it is, yes or no. So that we can prepare replacements. A player might have his plan, but when you commit something, then it is hard to change that. We talked to Shakib way back and put him in all three formats. Now when he backs off, it creates a problem for the selectors. Therefore, we must have something concrete that is applicable for everyone,” he told the reporters on Tuesday.

Khaled Mahmud, director at BCB and the team director of the national team, feels that the board must make a clear guideline.

“I think now is the high time. The board should put a full stop to this matter. This is enough. It can’t happen day after day. Not only for Shakib, for everybody. You play when you want, and you don’t when you don’t want- this is not tolerable,” said the former captain.

“None can dictate BCB. If you want to play, play. If you want to take a break, take a full break. Nobody is holding you back. The BCB president also thinks the same. They (The cricketers) are the products of BCB, not the other way around. They exist because of BCB. No one is above Bangladesh cricket,” added Mahmud.

“If Shakib does not play, I don’t care. I think BCB is not at all concerned about it. If he does not want to play any format, he should speak out his mind freely,” said the BCB director.

BCB President also told the reporters that he now wants everything documented.

“I told it to Jalal bhai (Cricket Operations Chairman) that from now, a verbal assurance or a phone call will not suffice. Everything must be documented. He told me in Chattogram that he will play in the Test series. Let him give it in writing which format he will play and which format he will not. Then we will decide. One thing I must say, I am very much disturbed by seeing this. It’s not only about Shakib, but many others also did the same thing,” Nazmul told the reporters at his residence on Monday.

“I think there is something wrong. The more controversy he (Shakib) makes, the more people like him. But the rules will not change for one person again and again. He signed the form where he made himself available for all formats. Now he is not playing, but taking the money,” Nazmul added.