Sports ministry launch verdict on Rajshahi financial crisis with dues demanded to be cleared by February 10.
Sports ministry of Bangladesh said on Monday that Durbar Rajshahi owner Shafiqur Rahman has vowed to clear the team’s dues to players by February 10.
Asif Mahmud, the government’s sports and youth affairs advisor, claimed to have spoken with Rahman on Saturday and warned him of the repercussions if the debt was not paid. A fact-finding committee has also been established by the Bangladeshi government to investigate the players’ nonpayment.
It is unprecedented for the government to release a press release regarding the BCB-organized BPL event.
“He [Rahman] accepted his fault and promised to clear all dues of the team in three instalments of 25 percent each on February 3, 7 and 10,” the release said. “He also assured that alongside the players, everyone involved with the team would also receive their payments in each instalment. Otherwise, whatever necessary legal actions will be taken against him.”
The squad’s foreign players were kept stranded in the team hotel in Dhaka, despite the franchise’s persistent failure to meet payment deadlines. Mark Deyal (West Indies), Ryan Burl (Zimbabwe), Miguel Cummins (West Indies), Aftab Alam (Afghanistan), and Muhammad Haris (Pakistan) were all awaiting some part of their compensation. Some of them have not received any payment at all, while a couple have received 25%.
The Rajshahi team bus driver has reportedly claimed in interviews that he was keeping cricket players’ kit bags as hostage because he had not been paid, which has made matters worse for the players.
The first person to purchase an airline ticket was Burl, who departed early on Monday. Haris is expected to depart on Monday afternoon, while the other players have flights in the next two days, according a statement from the Rajshahi franchise.
Since the beginning of the BPL season, Rajshahi has struggled financially.
Anamul Haque initially asserted that the local players, who are typically paid 25% before the event begins, had not been paid before it began. Last month, they skipped a Chattogram training session, and the international players skipped a game. They eventually made themselves available to play and kept themselves in the running for a postseason berth thanks to Burl and Haris, but their net run-rate was insufficient.