BCB relieves Nazmul of duty

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has relieved director M Nazmul Islam of his responsibilities as chairman of the finance committee. 

This decision was announced in a press release on Thursday amid mounting pressure from players.

BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul will now serve as the acting chairman of the finance committee. 

However, Nazmul retains his position as a BCB director.

The move follows intense backlash over Nazmul's controversial remarks during a press conference on Wednesday. 

He criticised national cricketers' performances, stating that they should return the "crores of taka" spent on them due to repeated poor showings and lack of titles. 

He also claimed that if Bangladesh skips the T20 World Cup, players would receive no compensation, as the board would face no financial loss.

These comments sparked outrage, prompting the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB)—led by president Mohammad Mithun—to demand Nazmul's removal. 

CWAB threatened a boycott of all cricket activities unless he was relieved of duties within 48 hours, and held an online press conference to reiterate their stance.

The crisis escalated when the first match of the Dhaka phase of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)—scheduled for 1:00 pm on Thursday—was abandoned, as players refused to take the field without confirmation of Nazmul's removal from his role.

The second match of the day, featuring Rajshahi Warriors vs Sylhet Titans at 6:00 pm, remains uncertain pending further developments following the BCB's announcement.

The BCB had earlier distanced itself from Nazmul's remarks, issued a show-cause notice, and expressed regret, emphasising that players are central to Bangladesh cricket. 

The relief from finance duties appears to be a direct response to the boycott threat and disrupted BPL schedule. 

Updates on whether this satisfies the players and allows cricket to resume are awaited.