COAB Revises Its Stance, Announces Conditional Return to the Field

There are signs of an end to the ongoing deadlock in Bangladesh cricket, as the players have indicated a willingness to return to action. Amid the crisis triggered by comments made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam, the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (COAB) has announced that it has decided to reconsider its earlier position.
In a press release, the players said they reached the decision through internal discussions, taking into account the overall state of cricket in the country. The statement noted that the women’s national team is currently competing in the World Cup qualifiers in Nepal, the men’s national team is preparing for the T20 World Cup, and the Under-19 team is participating in the Youth World Cup. In such a situation, a complete halt to all cricketing activities could have a negative impact on these teams. The players also described the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as highly important for the country’s cricket. For the greater interest of the game, they therefore decided to step back from their earlier decision.
COAB welcomed the decision to remove M Nazmul Islam from the BCB’s Finance Committee. The organization stated that since a show-cause notice has been issued to him, and the BCB has sought time due to procedural reasons regarding his position as a director, the players are willing to allow that time. However, they also expressed the expectation that the process would continue.
At the same time, the press release said the players expect a public apology from M Nazmul Islam for making insulting remarks about cricketers in public.
COAB further stated that if M Nazmul Islam offers a public apology and the process regarding his directorship continues, the players will be ready to return to the field from Friday.