The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been changing its decision on punishing Mohammedan Sporting Club captain Towhid Hridoy, coming under pressure from Mohammedan or the players at different times.
The board on Friday changed the decision in this regard for the third time.
As per the new decision, Towhid Hridoy will serve his suspension for one match in his first match of Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) next year.
Because of this decision of the BCB, Towhid Hridoy now has no bar to play in the next two Super League matches of DPL for Mohammedan Sporting Club.
The next fixture of the club is against Gazi Group Cricketers at Mirpur tomorrow, Saturday.
A group of cricketers, led by former national team cricketer Tamim Iqbal, met the BCB president Faruque Ahmed at Mirpur Friday afternoon and spoke about the punishment of Towhid Hridoy.
Two more BCB directors - Nazmul Abedeen and Iftekhar Rahman - were present in the meeting.
Since we made a mistake earlier, we did not have any alternative to meet their demand. Now we will have to work to stop its repetition in the future.An official of the BCB
Earlier on Thursday night, the CCDM Technical Committee cancelled the Umpires’ Committee’s decision to decrease the punishment of Towhid Hridoy.
The Technical Committee took an initiative to amend the decision as it was not done following the rules. It also said that Towhid Hridoy will remain suspended for the next match of the ongoing Dhaka Premier League.
But the BCB was forced to revoke that decision due to pressure from the cricketers at today’s meeting.
According to the latest decision, Towhid Hridoy will serve a one match suspension order in the first match of the DPL next year.
There is hardly any instance of changing the Technical Committee’s decision of punishment coming under the pressure of the cricketers around the globe.
Allegations have it that BCB’s umpires’ department slashed Towhid Hridoy’s punishment of two-match suspension order coming under pressure of his club.
As a result, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Bangladesh’s only elite umpire, resigned from the BCB.
I don’t know under which law this was done. This is laughable; in no way he can be suspended again. How could a player be suspended whom the BCB allowed to take part in two matches?Tamim Iqbal
Although umpires’ committee chief Iftekhar Rahman last week told the media that Sharfuddoula has changed his decision, this is highly unlikely.
There will be a far reaching consequence for today’s incident as this suggests that the decisions by umpires and match referees are not the ultimate one in the country’s cricket.
An official of the BCB finds the board responsible for the whole incident. Wishing not to be named, the official told Prothom Alo, “Since we made a mistake earlier, we did not have any alternative to meet their demand. Now we will have to work to stop its repetition in the future. There is no scope to go beyond the by-laws even an inch. The problem is, many don’t read it, while many others don’t understand it.”
The official also said that the DPL by-laws will be translated into Bangla for the benefit of all.
Speaking to the media after the meeting with the BCB president, Tamim Iqbal said, “He served his punishment. Now after playing two matches, we heard yesterday (Thursday) that he has been suspended again. I don’t know under which law this was done. This is laughable; in no way he can be suspended again. How could a player be suspended whom the BCB allowed to take part in two matches?”