CWAB chief ready to quit as B'desh players seek his resignation

Dhaka, Oct 22 Amidst the strike called by Bangladesh players, Naimur Rahman has said that he is ready to resign from his post of Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) president.

The Bangladesh cricketers went on strike on Monday, saying that they wouldn't take part in any cricket activity until their demands are addressed by their board.

Addressing the media in Dhaka, senior players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, who were all present at the press conference, clearly said they will be off cricketing activities till the time their demands are not fulfilled.

National cricketers gathered at the BCB Academy ground to put forward an 11-point demand, the first of which asks for the resignation of the current president and secretary of CWAB with immediate effect.

According to the Bangladesh players, conflict of interest remains one of the major reason for CWAB's inactivity as Rahman, vice president Khaled Mahmud are in the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) board of directors while secretary Debabrata Paul is a match referee.

"I have to spend money from my pocket in CWAB and I am with CWAB for quite some time. It is natural that someone new will come and I am willing to quit, but not under any pressure," Rahman told Cricbuzz.

"CWAB will have an election and if there is someone elected, he will be the president. But the organisation has a constitution and we must follow it."

Despite the tenure of the current committee ending seven months ago, CWAB, which also represents Bangladesh in player's global body FICA, hasn't held an election.

"They want new leadership and it is ok. Let them talk with us and we will give the date of the election. I am busy with a lot of other things so even I cannot give all my time here so we want some other players should also get involved," Rahman said.

"We had already offered them seven months back and even I personally asked them to take over the responsibility. At that time they did not want to take the responsibility and said that we should run it."

The CWAB chief, however, said that players are being misguided. "Someone is there because they have chosen such a time. The timing is not right. Plus the demands they have presented, they should have submitted it to the board first then should have decided whether they would boycott or go on strike. They did not demand to the board or CWAB first," he said.

"Maybe they are misguided, inexperienced. They have made a mistake. I am taking it like that. Or maybe someone is misguiding them behind the camera," he added.

The strike of the Bangladesh players has put a question mark on their upcoming tour of India, but it is too early to say that the tour is under threat.

BCCI President-elect Sourav Ganguly on Monday exuded confidence that the Bangladesh players will sort the issue with the board and the series won't be affected.

"It is their internal matter, but they will sort out, they will come," Ganguly said in Kolkata when asked if there was any threat to the series.

Bangladesh are slated to play three T20I matches and a two-match Test series in India in November with the first T20I slated to begin on November 3 in Delhi.