BCB President calls cricketers' strike a 'conspiracy'

Dhaka, Oct 22 A day after the Bangladesh cricketers went on strike saying that they wouldn't take part in any cricket activity until their demands are addressed by their board, BCB president Nazmul Hassan on Tuesday said it's a conspiracy to bring bad name to the sport in the country.

"We will find who is behind this conspiracy," said Hassan during a press conference as quoted by leading local newspaper The Daily Star.

The BCB president, however, did not reveal plans about their next course of action after an unofficial meeting in Mirpur, the report further said.

Addressing the media, senior players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, who were all present at the press conference, had clearly said on Monday that 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).

While their strike does put a question mark on their upcoming tour of India, but BCCI President-elect Sourav Ganguly is confident that the players will sort the issue with the board and the series won't be affected.

"It is their internal matter, but they will sort out, they will come," Ganguly smiled, when asked if there was any threat to the series.

Asked if he would be speaking to the Bangladesh Cricket Board in capacity of BCCI President, Ganguly said it is an internal matter. "It is their internal matter. I speak to the BCB, but this doesn't come under me," he explained.