FICA and BPL mud-slinging goes on
Federation of International Cricketers Associations chief executive officer Tim May has refuted the allegations that his organisation has an intention of destroying future editions of the Bangladesh Premier League.
The BPL governing council chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain recently alleged FICA, specially its CEO May, having a vested interest and therefore issuing various statements that have very little substance.
BPL officials also accused May of exaggerating the unpaid amount of foreign players saying that only a handful number of players are yet to be paid fully and that too because of some disputes over players’ injury and bonus payments.
While May claimed BPL franchises owe nearly $600,000, the tournament officials said the amount is no more than $70,000. May termed BPL officials’ recent statement as total nonsense and a deliberate attempt to divert the attention.
‘I have noted that the chairman of the BPL has come out with some words to the effect that only an amount of $70k is owed to players from the inaugural BPL event,’ May said in a statement on Friday.
‘He also alleges that FICA has some plot to destroy the event.
‘This is a total nonsense and a shallow and deliberate action of BPL to take attention away from a BPL administration that is clearly either out of its depth or completely oblivious to the facts of the situation.
‘FICAs sole objective is to ensure BPL and franchises act in accordance with the agreements that they have entered.
‘Under those agreements, the franchises and the BCB (in its capacity as guarantor of player payments) owe a number of players, both foreign and domestic, hundreds of thousands of dollars.
‘They continue to disregard these agreements and to attempt to divert attention from their lack of action, they choose to feed media blatant lies and defamatory accusations about FICAs intentions,’ he said.
May added FICAs intentions are simple - to ensure that the franchises and BCB honor their obligations.
‘FICA has no motive whatsoever in bringing about the demise of the BPL,’ he said.
‘We are not politically motivated - Bangladesh players are members of FICA - and a well run BPL is obviously of benefit to all, particularly Bangladesh players.
‘Why on earth would we mount a campaign that will work against our members’ interests?
‘Our simple obligation to players is to ensure that they are paid as their employment contracts state and to provide advice going forward to players as to the relative risks entering into various events, whether those risks be financial, safety or corruption.
‘We make such recommendations free of fear, favour or discrimination.
‘FICA, players and their managers have tried for months to work with the franchises, BPL and BCB to address this matter.
‘Players and their managers simply have got tired of the endless string of broken promises and excuses provided by these administrators.
‘The irrefutable fact is that hundreds of thousands of dollars are still owed to overseas players and hundreds of thousands more to the local players.
‘Any actions that are contributing to the downfall of the BPL are solely those actions of some of the franchise owners, BPL and BCB,’ May said.
source