All-rounder apologies to board, team-mates, fans
All-rounder Sakib al Hasan on Sunday issued a public apology and passionately appealed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board to review his six-month ban. Sakib met acting chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury at the BCB office in the afternoon to submit his plea before reading out a carefully written statement, admitting his fault. ‘I sincerely apologise to the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Bangladesh cricket team if they are embarrassed by my any behaviour,’ Sakib said in his statement.
‘Similarly, I also apologise to the fans who were always supportive of the Bangladesh cricket team.
‘I accept that as a professional cricketer and as a contracted player of the board I could not behave in a disciplined and restrained way on many occasions.
‘I am determined to behave in a more matured way in future,’ said Sakib.
The BCB on July 7 suspended the 27-year-old player from ‘all kinds of competitive cricket’ for the next six months, and for what they said his ‘severe attitude problem’.
Sakib was also barred from playing in any cricket leagues abroad until December next year.
The suspension came after Sakib threatened to quit international cricket during a heated exchange on the phone with coach Chandika Hathurusinghe.
Sakib patched up things with Hathurusinghe as the duo had a meeting in cricket operations chairman Akram Khan’s room to resolve their differences.
Sakib spent nearly 45 minutes at the cricket operations department where he wrote the statement before heading towards the room of acting chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury to submit his prayer.
‘Nothing can be more painful than staying away from cricket,’ said an emotional Sakib in his first public statement since the BCB imposed the ban.
‘Cricket is my life and I am carrying the colours of the country and the BCB logo since Under-15 age. This has made me proud more than anything else,’ he said.
In his statement Sakib re-iterated his commitment to the Bangladesh team.
‘Bangladesh team is above everything to me. I always play for it giving everything and I will give everything for Bangladesh team in future.
‘I have grown up at the BCB with the Bangladesh team. It is a very emotional place for me. From that position I appeal to the Board to reconsider my suspension,’ he said.
The BCB did not respond immediately apart from accepting his appeal.
‘We have received an appeal from Sakib,’ said acting chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury.
‘We will convey the message and later the board will take a decision regarding it,’ he added.
Cricket operations chief Akram echoed the same view.
‘It is good that he had appealed,’ Akram told reporters at his office. ‘Now we will look into the matter and will do what serves the best interest of our cricket,’ he added.
-With New Age input
