Bangladesh: Feast on Minhaz issue (13 April 1999)

13 April 1999

Bangladesh: Feast on Minhaz issue

Al-Amin and Syed Ashfaqul Haque

There were wheels within the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) wheels. It might be the sweetest of a World Cup call to Minhazul Abedin. But it was a coup de' tat to many a cricket follower.

While drafting Minhaz into the 15-man England-bound team, ugly internal wrangle in the Board came to the fore when it, in a meeting on Thursday away at the BKSP, made the 'most undemocratic' decision of recent times.

BCB, which has an appalling tendency not to do the right thing at the right moment, surprised all and sundry on April 8 when it blasted its selectors for their controversial World Cup job, and then went on to dismantle the trio. Enayet Hossain Siraj and Co, selectors for about fifteen months, were startled at the sudden outburst by their once-patrons and then preferred to slip into the back ground without a whimper.

The same quarter of the BCB rallied behind the three-man panel when, much to the disbelief of country's cricket aficionados, Minhaz had been left out of the 19-man provisional squad on February 27.

Even the Board president Saber Hossain Chowdhury, who preached not to interfere in any selection in the past, went on record by saying that the presence of experienced Minhaz, a prolific performer in domestic cricket last season, could have endangered the 'discipline' in the team. Some board officials soon joined in unison to label Minhaz as a rebel on many an occasion and sang selectors' praises for showing 'guts' and 'grey matter' to give him the axe.

But after a month and a half when it appeared that the Minhaz issue was laid to rest, Siraj and his men suddenly fell from grace in an extraordinary meeting, where all guns were pointed at them.

Although the instant reaction following the meeting's decision was 'justice finally done' by the board, but beyond the boundary it was more like a polarisation of sorts in the Saber-led elected panel.

The diverse reaction was quite evident after the meeting. When Saber in a statement came up with a positive frame of mind upholding the decision, some of the very important BCB officials termed the outcome of the meeting unexpected.

It came as a surprise for many BCB officials, who did not turn up at the meeting attended by only 18 (some claimed less then that) out of the 33 board members.

"It was a stunning move. There was no such serious matter like discussing the performance of the selection committee in the agenda. Moreover, the meeting was only to approve the 15-man Bangladesh squad, the list of which was sent to the ICC on March 31", said Ahmed Sajjadul Alam.

A former joint-secretary of the then BCCB, Sajjad also feels that if the board is to take serious decisions like discarding the selection committee it should have been included in the agenda.

"I think this is a bad precedence and it is not a healthy practice," said Sajjad.

Tanvir Haider, a senior vice-president, appeared flabbergasted by the incident.

"It was not understandable how those 18 took such a sensitive decision in the absence of other members," said Tanvir.

"I'm not against dissolving the selection committee. I have raised the issue in previous meetings. But my wise words were ignored earlier. I don't even understand how the same people, who were defending the selection committee's decision the other day changed their colour overnight.

"Besides, the meeting was a trial of strength by a quarter close to the president.

"It appears to me that cricket Board at this moment running without a meaning and purpose," said Tanvir.

In a cynic's point of view, it is a victory for the two joint-secretaries - Dewan Shafiul Arefin and Mahmudul Haq against the crest-fallen chief selector Enayet Hossain.

Both Dewan and Mahmud had bitter memories of not being allowed by Enayet in the team's tent during the ACC Trophy in Nepal last year as they were travelling there at unofficial capacity.

But Dewan, reportedly backed by the non-cricketing section in the board, not only left Enayet to carry the can, but also cornered the board members who have credentials as cricketers.

The politics for power, which clearly split the board into two sections, first surfaced when Tanjeeb Ahsan Saad resigned from the post of executive secretary about two years ago. With Saad departing the scene, Dewan and Mahmud assumed more control in the board.

Dewan had anxious moments when he was disciplined by the board for speaking against the ruling body to the press earlier this year. But he was soon compensated by the board president.

A purposeless post, branding co-ordinator of the England-bound Bangladesh squad, was created only to accommodate the footballer-turned-cricket-official, who is known to be the closest associate of the president, on the tour party.

When other affluent participating nations included a manager, a physio and a coach in the team, Bangladesh, who do not hope to win even a single match, has shown the luxury of taking an extra man for no good reason at the expense of the public exchequer.

Besides, Dewan was at odds with coach Gordon Greenidge in the past. Cricket followers also fear that his presence, not that of Minhaz, would have a negative impact on team discipline in England.

Source :: The Bangladesh Daily Star (https://www.dailystarnews.com)