Bangladesh bans rebel cricketers for 10 years

DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Board onWednesday hit back at 13 'rebel' players, banning them for 10 years for theirdecision to join the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL). "TheBangladesh Cricket Board has decided to ban for 10 years any player, official,or technical staff, who participates in events not authorised by it or the ICC,"a BCB spokesperson said. "The BCB has also barred them all from itsdomestic and international games and will not allow them access to any of itsfacilities. These decisions were taken at an emergency meeting on Wednesday andare line with the ICC's policy on unauthorised cricket," he said."The decision will be equally effective for contracted players orcoaches if they participate in any cricket event having no approval of the ICCor the BCB," BCB president Major-General Sina Ibn Jamali said. BCBconvened an emergency meeting to discuss the resignations of seven contractedplayers. Bangladesh cricket was rocked as six contracted playerstendered early resignation to join the rebel Indian league where they would formICL's ninth city-based team, Dhaka Warriors, in the Twenty20 tournament startingOctober 10. Former Bangladesh captain Habib-ul-Bashar led the exodusand he would lead the Dhaka Warriors, which would also include Shahriar Nafis,Dhiman Ghosh, Aftab Ahmed, Farhad Reza, Manjural Islam, Mabud Chowdhury,Mahboob-ul-Karim, Mohammad Rafique, Mohammad Sharif, Mosharraf Hossain andTapash Baisya. "We have written to the board that we are quitting.But if the board says we can still play for the country we are happy to dothat," Bashar said in Delhi. In a last ditch attempt to thwart theexodus, BCB invited the rebels to a meeting on Tuesday but none of thedisgruntled players turned up. The top Bangladesh players werereportedly offered $2,00,000 even though the cricketers insisted they did notjoin ICL for money.