Can't let cricket decline under my watch: Sports adviser

The recent leadership change in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was entirely performance-driven and aimed at halting the gradual decline of the country's cricket, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said today (31 May).

"I can't let cricket decline under my watch. We had certain expectations from the BCB, but they were not fulfilled," the adviser said during a media interaction at the national handball championship.

He noted that although Bangladesh achieved a historic Test series win on Pakistani soil under the previous BCB leadership, the team's performance sharply declined afterward.

"I spoke personally with Faruque Bhai. He was not removed over any allegations of corruption; the decision was purely performance-based," he clarified.

"If you look at it from a cricketing perspective, a player is dropped from the team if they consistently underperform. From our side, the same logic applied. I also consulted stakeholders involved in cricket regarding this matter."

The adviser added that the current state of cricket prompted BCB directors to seek the immediate removal of Faruque Ahmed from the board presidency.

Aminul Islam Bulbul replaced Faruque Ahmed as BCB president after the National Sports Council (NSC) withdrew Faruque's directorship nomination.

"As you can see, eight out of the nine current BCB directors submitted a letter to the NSC expressing no confidence in Faruque Ahmed," he said.

"There are just nine active directors at the moment, as others left after August 5. Most of them were uncomfortable working with him."

He added that the leadership change was communicated to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and was positively received.

"Some are talking about an ICC ban, but in reality, communication with the ICC has been proper. The new president has previously worked with the ICC. There's no lack of communication. The ICC understands the situation and has appreciated the new leadership."

Referring to the broader context, the adviser said Bangladesh cricket has been on a downward trajectory in terms of performance, which was a key factor in the leadership change.

"Given the BCB directors' letter to the NSC and the current situation in cricket, we had to take a decision. The Independent Inquiry Committee's report on the BPL was also a consideration."

He also mentioned that the payment issues with the Durbar Rajshahi franchise embarrassed the government.

"He allowed a franchise into the BPL despite its poor track record. Eventually, the government had to step in to pay the players' salaries and hotel bills," he said.

The adviser emphasized that the new BCB president was appointed following ICC guidelines.

"As per the BCB constitution, the NSC can nominate two directors. We didn't remove a president—we withdrew a directorship nomination. That, in turn, led to the change in presidency. A new president was elected under the board's constitution and ICC rules."

"I don't personally know Aminul Islam Bulbul Bhai or even Faruque Bhai. I consulted with people in the cricket community—those I consider partners—and based on their input, Faruque Ahmed was initially nominated through the NSC," he said.

However, he admitted that the arrangement did not work out administratively.

"Administratively, it didn't work. Cricket in Bangladesh was spiraling downward. This is a national concern, and we had to take another decision based on the facts to improve the game."

He dismissed allegations of government interference in the matter.

"There is no government interference here. The government simply used its authority to nominate two directors. That led to the leadership change. The process was constitutional and within the board's framework."

He reiterated that the ICC is fully informed of the developments and has welcomed the new leadership.