Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 16 : The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has promised to investigate the threats and claims against the protesting players and the president of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), Mohammad Mithun, who said about receiving threating calls, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Mithun, who has been leading the players' boycott call, also led negotiations with the BCB. He said that throughout the episode, which saw two Bangladesh Premier League matches and some Dhaka league matches postponed due to the boycott, he didn't say anything offensive.
"Everyone's who has been on camera, we've been getting bad messages and threats via calls from many people," Mithun said during Thursday's late-night press conference in Dhaka, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"I am sure that I haven't used any words that make someone small or I have gone into a debate or have spoken against the country. My only issue was cricket. The main matter was our self-respect and we are talking from that point of view only. People are calling us enemies of the country and so on. We have not uttered a single word against the country. No member of CWAB or no player will ever talk badly about our country, I am sure," Mithun added.
BCB director Iftekhar said that he has directed the board's security team to help Mithun and those who received threat calls. "Everyone knows we have a security department. I have just heard about the concerns from players, the calls and so on, we will tell the security department to handle it. We are taking this seriously."
The BCB director added that the board was considering the comments made by M Nazmul Islam after he called former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal an Indian agent.
Tamim Iqbal was derided as an "Indian agent" by M Najmul Islam after Iqbal called for a dialogue to resolve current tensions in cricket ties between the two nations, following the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"The situation has only got worse because he has gone ahead and given more comments," Iftekhar said. "The board president, I can confirm, has himself told that director about concerns over his statements. He has denied it to some media that this communication didn't happen, but I can confirm it has happened."