Asif Mahmud, Bangladesh’s interim government Youth and Sports Adviser, has criticised several current cricketers for posting coordinated messages on Facebook about the upcoming BCB elections, describing their actions as a violation of contract terms and warning that such behaviour is detrimental to the sport.
The Bangladesh cricket scene has been tense in recent days ahead of the upcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections, with widespread discussions and criticism surrounding the candidates. Much of the debate centred on the initial voter list, which excluded 15 Dhaka clubs. These clubs were later reinstated in the final list.
However, the situation drew further attention when several current Bangladeshi cricketers-Soumya Sarkar, Taijul Islam, Mominul Haque, Irfan Sukkur, and Mohammad Mithun, posted nearly identical messages on their personal Facebook pages, protesting the developments around the BCB elections.
This coordinated response did not sit well with Asif Mahmud, the Youth and Sports Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government. He claimed that in no other part of the world do active cricketers publicly comment on board elections and expressed his surprise over the matter. Mahmud suggested that by doing so, the players have violated the terms of their contracts.
Speaking to the media, he said, “You will not see any cricketer, currently active, speaking about board elections anywhere else in the world. This is a complete violation of their contract.”
Mahmud also remarked that using cricketers for political manoeuvring within the sport is not new in Bangladesh, noting that players have been involved in such situations previously. He described it as regrettable and emphasised that such actions are not in the interest of cricket.
He added, “Seeing cricketers being used to create factionalism, two years ago, five years ago, and even now is very disappointing. Those orchestrating this should feel ashamed for involving players in such matters. It is truly unfortunate for the sport and its fans.”
