Unless our DEMAND IS FULFILLED we aren’t coming back: Shakib

DHAKA: Bangladesh cricketers went on strike on Monday, saying that they wouldn’t take part in any cricket activity until their demands are addressed by their board. While their strike does put a question mark on their upcoming tour of India, but it is too early to say that the tour is under threat.

Addressing the media, senior players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim clearly said they will be off cricketing activities till the time their demands are not fulfilled. “We did not include Under-19 team here as they are preparing for the World Cup. Everybody else is here and we know everybody is with us. We are not going to involve in cricket. Unless our demand is fulfilled we are not coming back to cricket,” Shakib said.

“Beside age level cricketers 19, 17 and 15, everybody in national team and domestic cricket is involved here and it starts from today. This is applicable from domestic cricket and first-class cricket to international cricket,” he added.

According to the report, there are issues of salary cap in the seventh edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

National cricketers gathered at the BCB Academy ground to put forward an 11-point demand and announced that they have gone on a strike and will boycott all cricket-related activities, a report in Bangladesh’s leading daily, The Daily Star, read. Bangladesh are slated to play three T20 matches and a two-match Test series in India in November with the first T20I slated to begin on November 3 in Delhi.