Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president AHM Mustafa Kamal has questioned the integrity of the national cricketers saying that the players are not giving their hundred per cent.
"(You) have to be more responsible and have to give your best," said Kamal during a cash-award ceremony organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the members of Bangladesh's winning squad in West Indies and Zimbabwe at Sonargaon Hotel yesterday.
BCB boss said the players will have to give all in their ability and it would not be acceptable if they gave less than that.
“As a professional, I always want hundred per cent from the players and you have to be habituated with triumph and it will be not acceptable if you go down one day after winning a match the previous day.”
Bangladesh recently lost four of the matches in the tri-nation one-day tournament involving India and Sri Lanka at home and then lost the Chittagong Test against India by 113 runs.
The BCB president asked the cricketers why they failed to go down against India without a fight and said it was heartbreaking to see the way the batsmen gave away their wickets.
"If they scored 246 instead of 242, then we would have been boosted mentally. We may not have won the match, but at least we could have forced a draw. I think players need to fine tune their own expectations."
Kamal was met with a reply from none other than Bangladesh's stand-in skipper Shakib Al Hasan who said that cricket was their bread and butter and there was no lack of effort from the part of players.
"No cricketer plays for defeat and we always try to give our best in the field,”
The 22-year-old all-rounder also said that those who addresses should speak with responsibility.
"In order to get consistent success both players and the coaches should work together, no one can win on his own. Everyone should speak responsibly and assist us in our job. We will not win everyday, no one does. But our integrity should not be questioned," said the best all-rounder in one-day cricket who lead the team in absence of regular skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza in two successful overseas tours and a successful home series last year.
On behalf of ministry for youth and sports, minister Ahad Ali Sarker handed over Tk 50,000 each to all the players for their performance in the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahman was also given an additional Tk one lakh for scoring a century against India in the first Test in Chittagong.
BCB too gave Tk one lakh to Mushfiqur for his century.
The BCB president also expressed his discontent over the way the Under-19 cricketers have lost two crucial matches in the ongoing World Cup in New Zealand.
"Why they cant take two runs from three balls whereas they concede 38 from two overs themselves. There must be lack of communication somewhere. The directives from the dressing room may be not reaching the players."
Bangladesh under-19s failed to qualify for the Cup phase as they went down by a single run against West Indies and then gave away 24 runs in the final over against Pakistan to lose that match too