ICL Hunger

Former Bangladesh coach Shaun Williams' take on six top players quitting the national side and joining the rebel Indian Cricket League


Pune Mirror, September 17

Suhrid Barua

Pune: It's nothing short of a tremor that has rocked Bangladesh cricket all of a sudden. But for those who follow Bangladesh cricket closely would know that it was something waiting to happen. Six top players - Habibul Bashar, Aftab Ahmed, Shariar Nafees Ahmed, Dhiman Ghosh, Mohammad Rubel Hossain and Farhad Reza gave a vent to their pent-up frustration by choosing to quit the Bangladesh national team amid widespread media reports that they would be joining the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).The fast-paced developments have sent the Bangladesh Cricket Board mandarins into a tizzy almost like a batsman, who is not just at sixes and sevens against a short-pitched delivery and also struggles to find answers to questions posed by the bowler.

And one man who have seen these players evolve for a period of time is Shaun Williams, who has served a quite longish stint as Bangladesh 'A' team coach and also a High Performance Manager, even dabbling in as senior coach for a brief while before taking up the job as Director of Maharashtra Cricket and Ranji coach. "I'm not at all surprised by these developments. I'm in touch with these boys every now and than. I'm not sure what might have prompted the boys to take such a step but there must a solid reason behind it," Williams said.

Quiz him about the reports of six players joining the ICL, Williams says better prospects beckons every cricketer. "Who doesn't like to have financial security? Not just cricketer, all of us want that. So, I feel these players must have found it hard to resist the temptation of big 'moolah'. Bashar has two grown up children to take care of. Aftab was recently blessed with a baby girl. So they have responsibilites in life. They've every right to take decisions which stand them in good stead," he opined.
There is also increasing talk of the Bangladesh national players fed up of being given a rough ride by the Bangladesh Cricket Board? Williams toes a soft line. "Mate, I can't say sitting here what is happening there. If you look at the players, Habibul Bashar is close to the evening of his career, so he has a lot to gain. But for guys like Aftab Ahmed (middle-order batsman), Shariar Nafees Ahmed (former Bangladesh vice captain, Dhiman Ghosh (wicket-keeper), bowlers Mohammad Rubel Hossain and Farhad Reza, it must have been a decision taken with a lot of thought."

How about a tremor turning into a calamity if the likes of Mohammad Ashraful and Mashrafe Mortaza decide to jump the ICL bandwagon? "Look, if they are fit and in form, they would automatically work in the XI. But surprises can never be ruled out. If Ashraful and Mortazatwo call it quits, I can tell you for sure that it won't be music to the ears of BCB top-brass," he added.