Tony Irish criticises Bangladesh players' association for inaction
While FICA has lent its support to the striking Bangladeshi cricketers, its executive chairman Tony Irish criticised the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) for inaction. Irish said that the CWAB was not doing enough to properly represent the country's cricketers.
Bangladesh cricketers went for a strike against the national board making an 11-point demand, including a pay hike and immediate resignations of president and general secretary of the CWAB. They also asked for the lifting of the salary cap in the Dhaka Premier League and resorting back to the franchise-based system in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Among all this drama, CWAB, however, didn't seem in support of the strike and CWAB president Naimur Rahman said that he was willing to resign from his post, but there was a process with which it needed to be done. After being privy to the incident, International Cricketers' Association, FICA, has lent its support to the striking Bangladesh cricketers, saying that they "don't feel heard or respected" while Tony Irish criticised the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB).
"FICA commends the players in Bangladesh for their unity and for taking a stand together in order to secure fair conditions applicable to them as professional cricketers. This has happened despite the challenging environment for players to collectivize in Bangladesh and it is a clear indication of the need for change in the way players are treated in what we regard as an important cricket country," Irish said in a press release, reported Cricinfo.
"It is also clear to us that the players in Bangladesh don't feel heard or respected in relation to important issues that affect them in their careers and that affect their livelihoods. It is the role of a players' association to be the voice, and collective representative, of the players, and it is a matter of concern to us that the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) does not appear to be fulfilling this role at a very critical time for the players. It is of further concern that it appears that office bearers of CWAB hold positions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board."
After initially offering to resign, Naimur has later said he won't resign, and voiced his displeasure on a number of occasions in the last 24 hours, saying the players were being "selfish", and should have taken their demands to the board instead of going for a strike.