Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed has been removed from his role by the National Sports Council, but the board is unlikely to be sanctioned.
Faruque Ahmed removed as BCB president
On May 29, a no-confidence motion signed by eight directors on the Bangladesh Cricket Board was sent to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, requesting that Faruque's membership be revoked.
The former Bangladesh international had been elected board president following the changes that took place last year once the erstwhile Awami League government had been ousted. Faruque was one of two directors – Nazmul Abedin Faheem the other – nominated by the National Sports Council (NSC), a public body under the ambit of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
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This motion led to the National Sports Council withdrawing their nomination of Faruque as a director on the board. By extension, his time as president, having been elected from among the directors, also came to an end. He had previously been quoted as saying he knew of the actions taken to remove him from his post, but would not resign.
There had been reports that the no-confidence motion came from Faruque's alleged links to corruption issues related to this year's Bangladesh Premier League, but Ministry of Youth and Sports adviser Asif Mahmud said on Saturday (May 31), “This is not some sort of punishment. We must judge based on performance, and that performance hasn't been satisfactory.”
Aminul Islam Bulbul was nominated as a director instead, and was elected to take Faruque's place as president.
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Could Faruque's removal be considered as government interference?
In general, the ICC can take a dim view on government involvement in the running of cricket. Article 2.4 of its constitution outlines: “[Members must at all times] manage its (their) affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government (or other public or quasi-public body) interference in its governance, regulation and/or administration of Cricket in its Cricket Playing Country (including in operational matters, in the selection and management of teams, and in the appointment of coaches or support personnel).”
Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka are ICC Full Member nations that have been suspended due to government interference in the past (although in Sri Lanka's case, this was a direct request from the board itself).
There had been suggestions that the BCB might suffer a similar fate, given the NSC's role in Faruque's removal, but Mahmud allayed those fears: “Some are talking about an ICC ban, but in reality, communication with the ICC has been proper. The new president has previously worked with the ICC. There's no lack of communication. The ICC understands the situation and has appreciated the new leadership.”
The BCB's current system allows two nominations for directorship from the NSC, and in this case Faruque's nomination has simply been withdrawn. It is unlikely that the government body will be seen by the ICC as unduly or excessively interfering in the BCB's affairs, since they have not acted outside of the authority already provided to them by the BCB constitution.
Image credit: Facebook / Bangladesh Cricket Board
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