ICC prez Kamal quits, attacks Srini
Dhaka, April 1: Mustafa Kamal resigned as president of the International Cricket Council on Wednesday with an outspoken attack on the world governing body after he was prevented from presenting the World Cup trophy.
Mr Kamal accused the ICC of behaving “unlawfully” after he was barred from making the presentation. He said he was blocked because he refused to withdraw an incendiary allegation of match- fixing.
The Bangladeshi national had said after his country’s World Cup quarter- final defeat by India that there was “no quality in the umpiring” and suggested the result had been “prearranged”. Mr Kamal later complained that he had been deprived of his “right” as ICC president to present the trophy to the winners, Australia, on last Sunday. Instead that honour went to India’s N. Srinivasan, who took over as ICC chairman last year and who was booed at the ceremony. On Wednesday, he launched an extraordinary attack on the Indian national, calling him “rotten” and “controversial” and suggesting the ICC could stand for “Indian Cricket Council”. “I feel bad even to mention his name,” he said.
“If that man is in charge of cricket, how will cricket run?”
Dhaka, April 1: The International Cricket Council accepted the resignation of president Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday, who quit the position after being denied the honour of presenting the World Cup winners’ trophy. “The International Cricket Council on Wednesday confirmed that Mustafa Kamal has tendered his resignation as the ICC president with immediate effect,” the ICC said in a statement.
In his resignation letter to the ICC chief executive David Richardson, Kamal said he was stepping down on personal grounds and offered his apologies to all associated with the ICC, while adding that he had no complaints to make against anyone.
“Let the game of cricket under the leadership of ICC touch the hearts and minds of every cricket lover,” he was quoted as saying by the ICC.
The ICC Board will now consider the vacant position of the ICC president at its forthcoming meeting in Dubai on April 15 and 16.
However, Kamal had launched a scathing attack on the world cricket body’s chairman N. Srinivasan, calling him “rotten”.
“I am just sending my resignation to the ICC... I was not allowed to work in line with the ICC constitution and I cannot work with them beyond the ICC constitution,” he told a crowded press conference at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here on Wednesday.
Calling Srinivasan “rotten and controversial”, Kamal said the ICC could well now be called the “Indian Cricket Council”.
“I feel bad even to mention his name. If that man is in charge of cricket, how will cricket run?” Kamal said.
“These type of people should be away from cricket, these kind of people are polluting the game. Otherwise cricket will be spoilt. It is my earnest request to the ICC to revisit these things and people should research why I have resigned,” he added.
Kamal’s charges reportedly infuriated Srinivasan. While the former BCCI president didn’t say anything in public, he did express his displeasure to the ICC board members and questioned as to how can Kamal pinpoint on one wrong umpiring decision and take it as an isolated case. Kamal claimed he was asked to withdraw his comments.
“I will not withdraw the statement because it was the sentiment of 160 million people. Then they told me, if you can’t submit an apology or withdraw the statement, you can’t present the trophy,” he said.
According to an amendment in the memorandum and articles of association of the ICC which was unanimously approved by the Full Council in January 2015, it appeared that the job of handing over of trophies at global events rests on the ICC president.
According to clause 3.3 ( B): “With effect from the 2014 Conference Close Date, the President shall act solely as chairman at Conference and Special Meetings and be responsible for presenting trophies at global competitions and cricket events held under the aegis of the Council. For the avoidance of doubt, with effect from the 2014 Conference Close Date, the President will no longer act as chairman of the Executive Board or as chairman of any Committee or Sub- Committee.”
The ICC president is, however, the ceremonial head while executive powers lie with the chairman. However, till 1996, the World Cup has been handed by various people and not necessarily the head of ICC. Kamal had made a stinging criticism about “umpiring bias” during Bangladesh’s loss to India. In that match, India’s Rohit Sharma was not given out to a Rubel Hossain delivery which apparently looked a “touch and go” decision.
Srinivasan is rotten and controversial. These type of people should be away from cricket, these kind of people are polluting the game. Otherwise cricket will be spoilt. It is my earnest request to the ICC to revisit these things and people should research why I have resigned. The ICC could well now be called the Indian Cricket Council.
MUSTAFA KAMAL