Can't let cricket decline under my watch, says sports adviser

Dhaka, 31 May -Youth and Sports adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan has said the leadership change in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was entirely performance-driven, aimed at halting the gradual decline of the country's cricket. 

"I can't let cricket decline under my watch. Even though we had certain 
expectation from the BCB, that was not exactly materialized," the adviser 
said while speaking at a media interaction during the national handball 
championship today. 

"Bangladesh won a historical Test series on Pakistan soil after he takes over 
as president but after that the performance went downhill. I have spoken to 
Faruque bhai personally. He is not removed due to any corruption rather the 
decision was based on performance."

"If your see in cricketing angle, the selection committee won't give you 
chance if you keep performing badly. So from our side, the matter was like 
this. Again, I spoke to the stakeholders involved in cricket (in this 
regard). 

The present state of the cricket prompted the BCB directors sought an 
immediate removal of Faruque Ahmed as the president of the board.

Aminul Islam Bulbul replaced Faruque Ahmed as the BCB president after NSC 
withdrew the nomination of the latter's BCB directorship. 

"As you see, eight out of the nine BCB directors had sent a letter to NSC, 
showing no confidence against Faruque Ahmed," he said here today.

 "There are just nine directors at this moment as others fled after August 5. 
Majority of the directors are not comfortable working with him."

He also said the change in leadership had been communicated to the ICC and 
was welcomed by the global governing body.

"Some people are talking about ICC ban but the fact is there is also proper 
communication with the ICC. The one who has now become the BCB president has 
worked in the ICC for a long time," he said.

"There is no lack of communication. The ICC has applauded us. The current 
situation of Bangladeshi cricket is not unknown to the ICC. They have 
expressed their appreciation to the new leadership."

In this situation, we see that Bangladesh is gradually going downhill as far 
as the performance is concerned, and this is also a big reason, the adviser 
said.

"From that point, we have to come to a decision in the perspective of the BCB 
directors' letter to NSC and the current situation of Bangladesh cricket. At 
the same time the report of the Independent Inquiry Committee regarding BPL 
was also taken into consideration."

Durber Rajshahi franchises' payment issue even made the government 
embarrassed, said the adviser, who is also the chairman of National Sports 
Council (NSC).

"He gave a team a chance in the BPL on his own decision despite their bad 
past record. Even the government had to be involved in paying the cricketers' 
salaries and hotel bills."

The new BCB president was elected in accordance with the ICC guidelines, the 
adviser said. 

"The NSC can nominate two directors as per the BCB constitution. We did not 
remove any president. We withdrew the director nomination," he said.

"As part of the process, his post of president has gone. We nominated someone 
else, according to the board's constitution and another BCB president has 
been elected in accordance with the ICC guidelines.'

"Here, I don't even know Aminul Islam Bulbul Bhai. I don't even know about 
Faruque Bhai. I have spoken to people related to cricket whom I feel are 
partners. Based on their opinions, we brought Faruque Ahmed at first through 
NSC."

But it didn't work well administratively, he said. 

"But administratively, it didn't work that way. Bangladeshi cricket was going 
downhill spiral. This is a national concern. We have taken our decision again 
after considering the facts to improve cricket," he said, adding that there 
was no government interference as said by a vested quarter.

"There is no government interference here. The government has the power to 
appoint two directors. The government has made changes there. As a result of 
this, the president has changed. A new president has also come there 
quickly."

The adviser said the International Cricket Council (ICC) is fully aware of 
Bangladesh's situation and appreciated the new president. BSS