16 cricketers received their promised rewards yesterday morning from the state minister for youth and sports at the National Sports Council. State Minister Ahad Ali Sarkar handed over cheques worth a total of Tk 35 lakh. Each of the cricketers, who were part of Bangladesh’s 3-2 series win over West Indies last November, received Tk 1 lakh. Eight players were given additional rewards — as previously promised by the state minister — for their special performances over the last year.
Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim received Tk 4 lakh for his double hundred against Sri Lanka at Galle. Apart from him, Mohammad Ashraful, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Anamul Haque, Shohag Gazi, Mominul Haque and Abul Hasan were also given additional rewards.
The financial incentives announced by the ministry often take a long time to reach its beneficiaries, with some still yet to receive them. Upon receiving the cheques yesterday, Mushfiqur said: “We obviously knew that we were going to get the money, because the announcement was made from such a big place; if not today then tomorrow. Hopefully next time it will be given sooner, because these actions inspire players to perform.”
-With The Daily Star input
