It was not Shakib (Al Hasan), rather Bangladesh cricket is the loser. The comment was made by none other than Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Enayet Hossain Siraj, who is also the chairman of cricket operations committee, while giving his reaction yesterday over the sacking of the national team captain and his deputy Tamim Iqbal.
“You can hire a coach or other supporting staff, but you can’t hire a captain, so you have to be careful in this regard. Once we had axed some senior players at a time and still we have been compensating for that. For every wrongdoing you have to pay heavily,” said Siraj, who was absent from the board meeting in which the decisions were taken and only returned home on Friday after a business trip.
“The board has every right to take any decision and we have to accept it, but only time can say how good the decision was,” added Siraj while talking with to The Daily Star Sport over telephone.
It was the first time that a board high-up publicly expressed his reservations about the merit of the board’s decision.
Questions have already been raised about the manner of the decision, branded as ‘whimsical’ in many quarters, and many have pointed the finger of blame at the inefficiency of the cricket operations committee for their failure in handling some issues properly, but Siraj had his own views regarding the issue.
“Even a person condemned to death gets the opportunity to defend himself. My question is, was Shakib given this opportunity? I don’t think so. There is a code of conduct for the contracted players and you have to first see whether they breach it or not before taking any disciplinary action. And without any hearing you can’t reach a final decision,” said Siraj.
He also underlined the difference between ‘discipline problem’ and ‘attitude problem’.
“A lot of questions have been raised but I think Stuart Law cleared the air. It’s better not to say anything more regarding this disciplinary or attitude problem issues,” he added.
Though many believe that taking such a crucial decision without consultation with the cricket operations chairman or his committee is an insult to him, Siraj said that he has no ill feelings as he believed that it was nothing personal.
“There is nothing personal, so why should I feel insulted by the decision which was taken in the highest forum of any organization? The duty of the cricket operations committee is to keep the cricket in the right direction and if you think it has failed to do so you can take any decision,” said Siraj.
Siraj also dismissed the notion that he deliberately skipped the last board meeting. “You know we have our own business commitments, so it’s sometimes difficult for us to attend a meeting when the schedule is changed. You see the next meeting was scheduled for September 19 but now it will take place on September 20, so how would it be possible for me to attend the meeting if there is a prior appointment on that day?” explained Siraj.
The influential board director however ensured that he will attend the next board meeting and give his opinion regarding the issue.
-With The Daily Star input
