Bangladesh’s cricketers say they are willing to return to the field from tomorrow, but only if BCB director M Nazmul Islam issues a public apology for his comments. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), however, have refused to agree to that condition.
A source from the players’ camp confirmed to Times of Bangladesh that the cricketers want to resume playing and have welcomed the board’s decision to punish Nazmul by removing him from key responsibilities. However, the source said a public apology remains non-negotiable.
According to players, they informed BCB president Aminul Islam that they would end the boycott and play from tomorrow if Nazmul publicly expressed regret for his remarks and if the disciplinary action taken against him remained in place. Aminul is understood to have rejected the proposal.
CWAB president Mohammad Mithun and several senior cricketers spoke with Aminul over the phone on Thursday evening. Other board directors were also present during the conversation, which took place on speakerphone.
During the discussion, the cricketers said they were prepared to play in the broader interest of Bangladesh cricket, pointing out that the Under-19 and women’s teams are currently competing overseas and that they themselves want the BPL to continue. Their willingness to return, however, was conditional.
The players insisted that since Nazmul’s comments about cricketers were made publicly, the apology must also be public — either through social media or another formal platform. They also made it clear that they support the decision to take action against him and want that punishment to remain in force.
Later, CWAB issued a press release confirming all this and officially demanding Nazmul’s public apology if they were to return to the field.
Aminul reportedly told the players that a public apology was not possible. He claimed Nazmul had already apologised privately to the board and argued that, as a “respected individual”, he could not be asked to apologise publicly. He also reportedly said it was not within his authority to make such a request.
This led to a tense exchange, with cricketers responding that respect should apply equally to players. They maintained that public remarks require a public apology. The discussion ended without resolution after Aminul declined to accept their conditions.
The boycott over the Nazmul issue resulted in two BPL matches being abandoned on Thursday. According to the schedule, two matches are due to be played on 16 January 2026.
