Unless our demand is fulfilled we aren't coming back: Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan (Twitter)

Dhaka, Oct 21: 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. While their strike does put a question mark on their upcoming tour of India, but it is too early to say that the tour is under threat.

Addressing the media here, 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 ther demands are not fulfilled.

"We did not include Under-19 team here as they are preparing for the World Cup. Everybody else is here and we know everybody is with us. We are not going to involve in cricket. Unless our demand is fulfilled we are not coming back to cricket," Shakib said.

"Beside age level cricketers 19, 17 and 15, everybody in national team and domestic cricket is involved here and it starts from today. This is applicable from domestic cricket and first-class cricket to international cricket," he added.

According to the report, there are issues of salary cap in the seventh edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

National cricketers gathered at the BCB Academy ground to put forward an 11-point demand and announced that they have gone on a strike and will boycott all cricket-related activities, a report in Bangladesh's leading daily, The Daily Star, read.

As reported by Cricbuzz, some of the demands are:

- Resignation of the current president and secretary of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) with immediate effect, after which the Bangladesh players will select who takes over the association.

- Dhaka Premier League, the domestic tournament in Bangladesh, should not have salary cap.

- BPL should be conducted in franchise-style, like it was before, instead of the revised BBL-type format and the local players should be paid at par with the foreign players.

- Better remuneration at the first-class level.

- An increase in the number of players in the central contract list and an increase in salaries.

- Tamim Iqbal also made a remuneration-related demand.

- To have more domestic cricket tournaments, besides the one 50-over event -- the Dhaka Premier League -- and the T20 tournament -- the Bangladesh Premier League.

- The players have also called for a calendar for domestic cricket so they can prepare better.

- Uniformity in timing of payments made to the players for BPL and DPL. Ten teams in the DPL have paid their players on time, but the Brothers Union Club -- a team in the DPL -- have only cleared 40 percent of the fees due to their players.

- Players should be allowed to play more than two overseas franchise-based league.

Bangladesh are slated to play three T20 matches and a two-match Test series in India in November with the first T20I slated to begin on November 3 in Delhi.