BPL a disgrace, says Mushfiq BPL a disgrace, says Mushfiq

[Nadim]

BPL a disgrace, says Mushfiq

National skipper Mushfiqur Rahim lambasted the organisers of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League on Tuesday for putting the country in disgrace after their recent drama with the semi-final spot of now-controversial tournament.

Mushfiq, who led Duronto Rajshahi to a shock eight-wicket defeat at the hand of Barisal Burners, blasted the organisers as he had little idea of who he was going to face in the semi-final until the morning.

Before going to sleep he knew that he would be facing Chittagong Kings in the semi-final but he was completely surprised to know that Barisal Burners would rather be his opponents.

‘Definitely, it is very strange and this kind of thing can happen only in Bangladesh,’ Mushfiq said.

‘It shows how this tournament is organised. It is only possible in Bangladesh and we have taken this as a normal case,’ he added.

‘Definitely, it hampered the image of the country,’ Mushfiq told reporters on Tuesday.

‘The tournament is telecast worldwide and they all understood how disorganised we are.’

‘In the first place, Barisal were told that they would be through in a better run rate if they can win [against Chittagong] and they did that. All of a sudden, it was said that Chittagong Kings are through by virtue of head to head. This is a big disgrace for our country,’ he added.

The wicketkeeper batsman also took a swipe at the franchise regarding the

players’ payment and doubted if this continued to happen, the tournament would not be able to maintain a positive image.

‘As far as payment is concerned, this was a totally disorganised tournament. It is not only for us but for any overseas players who are yet to receive any money.

‘They told us that they would give us 75 per cent before the end of the tournament but that commitment is not kept. We are paid only 40 to 50 per cent of the money,’ said Mushfiq.

‘In the field, we learnt a lot but off the field, activities were not up to the mark. We need to receive some compensation for our hard work and if that is not guaranteed, I have doubts whether this kind players will come and play in the future,’ he said.

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/sports/51896.html

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Glad Mushy talked about it front of the media. i hope more players do the same.


Lipu should be punished

[Nadim]

DO you think if you don't pay the players on time, specially the overseas players, will they turn up for this BODNA Premier league next yr?? i don't think so

[mufi_02]

Arreee Mushy harse deikha khepse. Jitle kisui bolto nah mone hoy.

[mufi_02]

Tokhon Lipu re giya dito.

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by mufi_02
Arreee Mushy harse deikha khepse. Jitle kisui bolto nah mone hoy.

The post of the hour.

[ialbd]

not paying the players in time is very low of the franchise owners.
its like 'we made the splash with BPL and it was fun while it lasted.... now its time to cut our losses and not pay the players and run away...'

i understand why the BCB officials screwed up (this is the best they can do) but why isnt the franchise owners being more responsible? they have the teams for 3 years (before they can sell ownership) ... why ruin the reputation...

this is becoming like that renegade league ICL...

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by mufi_02
Arreee Mushy harse deikha khepse. Jitle kisui bolto nah mone hoy.

Even before the match Rajshahi supported Chittagong as the rightful semi-finalists.

[mufi_02]

I don't think the franchise can run away and not pay the player's salaries. Mushy seems frustrated and he has his reasons. But they will be paid for sure.

We have superstars playing in Dhaka league since the 90s. In these 20 years, I have never heard any foreign player complaining about salary or such treatments from Abahoni, Mohamedan etc. These franchise owners are big corporate houses and the last thing they would do is ruin their reputation.

[F6_Turbo]

What a knob...stuff goes wrong elsewhere and everyone tries to minimize the damage. Stuff happens here and every Tom, Dick & Harry piles on.

I hope everyone gets paid, but he gets fined 2-3 match day fees.

[Dilscoop]

I'm sure his reasons are justified, (or are they?), but complaining about it AFTER losing the Semi makes him sound like a cry baby. And I don't want a cry baby to captain the national team.

[FagunerAgun]

His comments are disgraceful to his credibility as a NT captain. Problems with payments happen all over the world - it is nothing new. At least, as he said, players are being paid 40/50 percent - which is great from a business sense. A business entity may not have enough cash-flow all the time to pay all the dues. Default is a common word in the business world.

However, after the tournament, or after a tolerable time, if the dues are not paid, then it will be a question of credibility for that franchise given that there is always a window of negotiation/bargaining open between the payer and the payee.

[HereWeGo]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
What a knob...stuff goes wrong elsewhere and everyone tries to minimize the damage. Stuff happens here and every Tom, Dick & Harry piles on.

I hope everyone gets paid, but he gets fined 2-3 match day fees.

fine him for what?? These cricketers are professionals which means this game is their only source of income. For lesser known players who are not representing the national team this is the most money they will get in a year at one time.. So if the employer decides not to respect the contractual agreement than there is every reason for the employee to be dissatisfied. Also this is not "parar cricket", you cant change the team you are playing semifinal against in the middle of the night....
He has every right to bash BCB...

[Dilscoop]

While we are here, give Nadim a mini-ban for putting a "Thumbs Up" on the thread title. Chamcha.

[MohammedC]

What will happen to Mushfiq ?



Will Mushfiq loose his national team captaincy for telling the truth ?

Will he be also kneeling down in front of BCB heads begging for mercy ?

[F6_Turbo]

He's trying to shame the owners into forking out the money immediately. It's a tactic, I'm just not sure it's the best tactic. I can understand a non local doing this...burning their bridges, but a local player, and the national captain at that?

I don't care if he was frustrated after the beating Rajshahi took, he isn't a two year old...throwing a temper tantrum.

His comments are nearly as disgraceful and embarrassing as the kerfuffle with the semifinal qualifications.

[F6_Turbo]

You speak of contractual obligations, I'm sure he has one too...one that states don't crap where you eat.

I hope the BPL disappears, after all I'm not the one that was set to make 80-90lakh taka for a months work.

I'm sure this is the right way to go about it, in fact I hope all the players join in & the fans boycott the league.

That'll show 'em

[Equinox]

Lol everyone complaining about the semi-final situation and he does the same and he becomes a cry-baby? As the captain of a team, how can he prepare for a semi-final not knowing which team he is going to face and finding out on the morning of the match? How is there any credibility left after that? And from what I read above he isn't blaming the loss on this at all, even in the presentation he distinctly blamed the dropped catches for the loss. His only point is that it doesn't look good to the rest of the world. So if a reporter asks him on his reaction to this ****up what is he meant to say? It happens? Umm NEWSFLASH no it doesn't happen. I don't understand why in any way it would affect his credibility as national team captain.

As for the payment issue, the franchises made a commitment to the players. And I agree there is no need to throw a tantrum over this especially since a significant portion has already been paid and the tournament just finished. But he also may just be relaying the complaints the foreign players might have. To them a commitment is a commitment.

[idrinkh2O]

1st Semi-final: 'It is a big shame'
Post-match Press Conference


Yesterday Posted By: bplt20.com.bd staff

Rajshahi skipper Mushfiqur Rahim answered questions from the media after his side were roundly beaten in the BPL semi-finals by Barisal Burners.

Question: What are your thoughts on the match?
Mushfiqur Rahim (MR): We made a good comeback after losing our top three batsmen cheaply. The top three batsmen of the Barisal Burners are the main batsmen. We knew they would attack in the Powerplay and our main target was to get an early wicket, which would put them under pressure, because 184 is a very good score on that track. And chasing in a knockout game, they would also be under pressure. But we dropped two catches in two overs off two of their big players. We should have availed those chances, we did not and you know the result of that.

Q: There has been some back and forth between which of Barisal or Chittagong you will face today. When did you find out for sure?
MR: We knew till the evening when we were going back to our rooms that we would be playing Barisal, but then we learned that Chittagong were ahead on a head-to-head basis, so I went to sleep knowing that we would play Chittagong. Then I woke up to the news that in fact it would be Barisal, so that shows how organised this tournament is. This is nothing abnormal, it is quite normal, so we took it in our side.

Q: Did the uncertainty affect your preparations?
MR: No, we played Barisal twice and Chittagong twice, so we were prepared. Our team meetings are held in the early morning, so when we learned that we were to play Barisal we planned accordingly.

Q: Does the mismanagement reflect badly on the country?
MR: Definitely, it is such a tournament that is being broadcasted worldwide, and it has been shown to be disorganised. In Barisal’s match against Chittagong they were told that they would go through if they won in sixteen overs, they did and the following day it was said that Chittagong would go through. As I said, maybe it is only possible in Bangladesh, so of course it is a big shame.

Q: Do you think all the spot-fixing and match-fixing issues will have a negative impact on the young local players?
MR: I cannot say that it does not influence the young players in some way or the other. When they see players from big teams doing such things, they may get influenced. But our job is to play cricket day in and day out, it is our routine and whoever can overcome these issues and play well they will rise.

Q: In light of all the controversies -- the spot-fixing, the semi-final mix-up and the player payment problems -- what is your take on the BPL as the captain of the national team?
MR: You can say that it (BPL) was a big opportunity for us to perform and also a big experience. But in the other respects this is a most disorganised tournament, not just in matters of payment. And it is not just us local players. There are foreign players in many teams who have not been paid. There was a commitment that we would be paid seventy-five percent of our fees when the tournament ends, but till now we have not been paid according to that percentage. We have been paid, not the committed account, but some of it.

Q:How much exactly have you been paid?
MR: Around forty-fifty percent.

Q: After all the mismanagement, do you think the tournament was organised too hurriedly and it would have been better if it did not happen at all?
MR: If you think from various perspectives, it now seems like that. But it was also an opportunity for us, it is known that we do not play T20 that well, and we have learnt a lot. In our team there are Marlon Samuels, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Sami from whom we have learnt a lot through talking about the game. From a cricketing perspective, it has benefited the local players. But in off-the-field matters, the organisers have to sit and think about how they have gone about the business, because it is also matter of finances, and if there are no guarantees it can be questioned whether those who have turned up will play in the future.

-------------------------

Barisal Burners captain Brad Hodge was in good spirits after leading his team to the final, and answered questions at the post-match press conference.

Question: We heard that you had gone to the airport last night thinking that Barisal were out of the tournament? Is it true?
Brad Hodge (BH): Yes, I went to the airport and I was waiting for the information whether we were playing or not. If we were not I wanted to go back home as soon as possible because my boy is a little sick. But I heard we were playing, so I came back and we played and we won. So it is good.

Q: How strange was the situation to you?
BH: There was a bit of strange message yesterday. But I think justice has prevailed. The match that we played against Chittagong (on Sunday) was an amazing match. It showed that Barisal Burners are the quality that deserves to be in the final, so I think justice was done.

Q: Mushfiqur Rahim said that the mismanagement is a disgrace for the tournament. Do you agree?
BH: I am not sure it is a disgrace, I think what you need to do is simplify the rules. Mainly because the tournament went so quickly that the laws and the cricket really did not get simplified. I am just a player, my job is to play cricket and let the administrators sort out the mess. There should not be that level of confusion after we won against Chittagong. Clearly everyone knew, including Chittagong, that we were in the semi-finals. Then 24 hours later it changes, so we only did what we were told we had to do.

Q: Have you ever seen anything like this in other tournaments?
BH: Look, I think this has been a good tournament. It has been successful, the crowds have been good and it has attracted some very good players. I think it will grow, but there are little issues which need to improve. But the cricket has been good, which is the main thing.

Q: Mushfiqur also mentioned the payment issue, what is your take on that?
BH: I am probably speaking for everyone when I say that player payments have not been on time. But I am very confident that that will happen. I think there is some kind of note that needs to be passed from the BCB to the owners for the players to be paid, so that takes time. That is the sort of mess that needs to be sorted. The situation is that most of the guys have been paid half, some twenty-five percent, some seventy-five percent.

Q: Do you think, with all the controversies surrounding the tournament, the BPL can retain it’s legitimacy?
BH: I think every tournament has some teething issues that are brought up. It is just another day in cricket. These things happen all the time. Seems to be a bit stranger in this part of the world, but it does happen. But look, the issue (semi-final qualification) was rectified, it took seven hours to rectify it and as I said in the end justice was done.

Q: Having played in the first edition of the IPL also, how would you compare the BPL to its Indian counterpart?
BH: I think the difference between India and Bangladesh is the depth in the squads. Every tournament is a bit strange at first. You do not know the conditions, the local players. It takes time to understand what those players are like. Like the IPL there has been a lot of razzmatazz in the first year. Every tournament is the same for a player, you try and perform your best, whether it is in England, South Africa, Australia or Bangladesh. You just try to win.

Q: Do you think the presence of overseas players will benefit local youngsters?
BH: It has to, I think in any tournament if you bring in good quality overseas player it is good for the youngsters. If they do not learn, then they are silly. Our quality is here to teach, so if they do not want to learn or watch or listen, then it is their own fault; they will fall back and other youngsters will come through and benefit. This is why we are here, we attract crowds, we attract TV, so this will help Bangladeshi cricket like it has helped Indian cricket in T20s.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please don't judge him without knowing the complete story. Cut him some slack. We all know how reporters ask tricky questions. It's a part of learning experience for young Mushfiq.
btw, I loved the way how Hodge commented. Hopefully Mushfiq learned a thing or two from it.

ps. Thanks Nadim98 for the link.

[F6_Turbo]

And you think the best way for Mushfiq to relay the concerns of players like, Samuels, Ervine, Sami ect is to mention this is front of the media, and not in private with the team ownership? Could he have not said the same to the owners and BPL governing body, with a little warning that...this wouldn't stay private too long if the issue wasn't resolved asap

[idrinkh2O]

Originally Posted by Equinox
Lol everyone complaining about the semi-final situation and he does the same and he becomes a cry-baby? As the captain of a team, how can he prepare for a semi-final not knowing which team he is going to face and finding out on the morning of the match? How is there any credibility left after that? And from what I read above he isn't blaming the loss on this at all, even in the presentation he distinctly blamed the dropped catches for the loss. His only point is that it doesn't look good to the rest of the world. So if a reporter asks him on his reaction to this ****up what is he meant to say? It happens? Umm NEWSFLASH no it doesn't happen. I don't understand why in any way it would affect his credibility as national team captain.

As for the payment issue, the franchises made a commitment to the players. And I agree there is no need to throw a tantrum over this especially since a significant portion has already been paid and the tournament just finished. But he also may just be relaying the complaints the foreign players might have. To them a commitment is a commitment.

Well said bro

[F6_Turbo]

Read the comments made by Hodge, the exact same criticisms, but handled with so much more finesse, and overall a far more positive vibe.

Teething problems...little mishaps, so minimizing the issues and trying to highlight the positives... Thats what the public face of this should be.

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by Equinox
Lol everyone complaining about the semi-final situation and he does the same and he becomes a cry-baby? As the captain of a team, how can he prepare for a semi-final not knowing which team he is going to face and finding out on the morning of the match? How is there any credibility left after that? And from what I read above he isn't blaming the loss on this at all, even in the presentation he distinctly blamed the dropped catches for the loss. His only point is that it doesn't look good to the rest of the world. So if a reporter asks him on his reaction to this ****up what is he meant to say? It happens? Umm NEWSFLASH no it doesn't happen. I don't understand why in any way it would affect his credibility as national team captain.

As for the payment issue, the franchises made a commitment to the players. And I agree there is no need to throw a tantrum over this especially since a significant portion has already been paid and the tournament just finished. But he also may just be relaying the complaints the foreign players might have. To them a commitment is a commitment.

Well articulated, Equinox.

I agree with him on all other things, specially BCB's debatable role between CTG/Barisal semi-fianal issue.

But on the payment issue, I disagree with Mushy.

As a former BA in Commercial Banking in a foreign land, I clearly understand what a legal committment/legal binding means in paying on time. Everything is dependent on cash flow of the business entity.

Secondly, Mushy is not a Spokesperson for the foreign players on payment issue.

Should there be any complaints about late payment/no payment, those foreign players could have complained to BCB or BPL Committee.

Grossly blaming the franchisees in a crude way on payments minimizes his credibility as well as BPL's credibility.

[mufi_02]

Its the media making too much fuss. Yes there were some mishaps but they are now taking it out of proportions. Look at the questions reporters asked both Mushy and Hodge.

We all saw how our media is from their interrogation of the little boy Megh. If they can ask the little boy those questions, then these questions to players are nothing.

[idrinkh2O]

Our former president H M Ershad je ki inteview dilo live tv-te tato keu kichu bollo na. ekbar live interview dekhei lojjai amar brown mukh lal hoye geche...r punorai youtube-e dekthe iche kore nai.

r picchi Mushfiq tired/disappointed obosthai press-conference diche, dui ekta ta vhul hotei pare...emotion tokhon raw chilo. I'm sure if he were to face the media later, it would've been a different interview.

[Equinox]

Yes I agree that Mushy is in the wrong over the payment issue. I can see why he would feel frustrated though, foreign players in his team complaining should make him feel bad as a Bangladeshi. But he could have handled it more diplomatically like Hodge. However, I think the reaction to this has been a bit OTT.