Shak Mahedi Hasan and Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Das are set to be handed financial fines by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for separate disciplinary breaches, a source confirmed to Times of Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Mahedi is facing punishment for making controversial public comments about his lack of regular opportunities in Bangladesh’s playing XI, while Litton is being penalised for travelling abroad without informing the board.
Both players appeared before the BCB Disciplinary Committee, where they answered for their respective disciplinary breaches. The committee has proposed financial penalties in both cases. It will be the first time both players have been punished for disciplinary issues in their careers.
A source close to the BCB Disciplinary Committee told Times of Bangladesh that, Mahedi has been proposed a higher fine than Litton.
“Financial penalties have been proposed for both Shak Mahedi and Litton Das. Mahedi’s fine is higher than Litton’s,” the source said.
The Bangladesh team returned from Zimbabwe on Wednesday morning, after which Mahedi was summoned to the BCB office for a disciplinary hearing. The hearing, initially scheduled for 6:00pm, was later pushed back to 7:30pm. Following the hearing, the committee proposed a financial penalty for the all-rounder.
Litton, meanwhile, is being fined for travelling abroad without informing the BCB. He
When asked about the proposed amounts, a BCB director, who requested anonymity, declined to disclose the figures, saying the matter was still internal.
“The exact figures will not be disclosed at this stage as the matter remains internal, but financial penalties have been proposed for both players,” the director said.
The disciplinary action against Mahedi stems from an interview he gave to broadcaster T Sports during Bangladesh’s T20I series against Australia in Chattogram on June 21. In the interview, Mahedi expressed his frustration at not being a regular member of the playing XI.
In the series opener, Mahedi scored an unbeaten 29 off 22 balls and took one wicket for 29 runs in four overs. However, he was left out of the playing XI for the next two matches.
Speaking to T Sports about his lack of opportunities, Mahedi said, “There is always some disappointment. I am a cricketer. I only play T20 cricket, but even here I am not a regular. Most of the time, I am left out because of match requirements or team combinations. It is certainly frustrating. If I could play regularly, I believe I could perform even better than I have before.”
This was not the first time Mahedi had made critical comments in the media about not receiving regular opportunities. His repeated remarks were considered contrary to the Players’ Code of Conduct and the interests of the team management.
Litton, meanwhile, had appeared before the BCB disciplinary committee a few days earlier after travelling to China without informing the board following his return from Zimbabwe due to injury. He later travelled to Singapore for treatment.
According to the BCB’s code of conduct, players are required to obtain board approval before travelling abroad when there is no national team engagement. Litton did not follow that protocol.
After completing the disciplinary proceedings, Litton is currently in Singapore for treatment of his calf strain. According to a source in the BCB medical department, he was scheduled to undergo a scan on Wednesday. His rehabilitation ahead of the upcoming series against Australia will begin based on the scan results.
