Mashrafe has never been an owner, nor is he now; Sylhet Strikers’ statement

A case has been filed against Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, alleging that the ownership of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team Sylhet Strikers was "forcibly taken" from an expatriate Bangladeshi in the US.

According to the case file, the plaintiff, Sarwar Golam Chowdhury, lodged the case at Pallabi Police Station in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Monday. At the time of purchasing the Sylhet Strikers team in the BPL, Sarwar was the chairman of the team.

Following the incident, Sylhet Strikers issued an official statement on social media. In the statement, released on their official page, the BPL franchise refuted the ownership claim made in the lawsuit, stating that the information mentioned in the case was untrue. The statement clarified that Mashrafe has never been an owner of the Sylhet franchise, nor is he now. Therefore, the question of forcibly taking ownership does not arise. The statement also mentioned that the legal matters will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Here is the statement from Sylhet Strikers:

"Not even one percent of the ownership of Sylhet Strikers has ever belonged to Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, and it still doesn't. There is no question of forcibly taking ownership. The ownership documents held by the BCB also do not mention Mashrafe's name.

Now, let us tell you a story. Sylhet Strikers made a big impact when they first participated in the BPL. Under Mashrafe's captaincy, we finished as runners-up. Our professionalism, both on and off the field, our ability to engage people from all walks of life in Sylhet as well as supporters across the country, and our presentation on digital platforms were all highly praised. Despite that, why did our team-building process collapse in the second season?

Initially, 60% of Sylhet Strikers' ownership belonged to Sarwar Golam Chowdhury. He was actively working with the co-owners. However, when it came to paying the players and covering other expenses, he gradually began to withdraw. He left for the United States, leaving behind several crore taka unpaid, including wages for many cricketers and some management members, operational costs, and various other expenses. Despite repeated assurances, he took no action when contacted.

Many members of the Sylhet Strikers team, including cricketers, coaches, management, and others associated with the franchise, are aware of this. Eventually, unable to settle the unpaid dues, he voluntarily relinquished his ownership to the other co-owners in August of last year. We have copies of his email and all related documents. He also informed the BCB via email about his decision to step down. Before the next BPL season, the new owners had to bear the burden of settling the previous debts. This fact is also known to everyone associated with the franchise.

In total, we faced such hardship while clearing old debts that we didn't have enough funds to build a strong team for the second season. We were only able to field a team within a limited budget and aimed to complete the tournament in any way possible. We couldn't bring in top-quality foreign cricketers. For this, we faced many questions from Sylhet's cricket followers and supporters, but the reality was difficult for us.

Now, as the country stands at the cusp of a new era following recent changes, some individuals are trying to take advantage of the situation for personal gain. Therefore, out of responsibility to Sylhet Strikers' fans and supporters, and to cricket followers in the country, we are presenting our stance. The legal matters will be handled through the legal process."