Bangladesh Cricket Board will not take any responsibility of wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim who decided to have his private practice session and ignore the health advices made by the board to the players amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Former Bangladesh captain Mushfiq revealed through social media platforms of having started training individually in order to keep himself fit, despite the country continuing to have all forms of sports activities suspended owing to the coronavirus outbreak.
Mushfiq in a video was seen batting, rolling and planking besides running at facilities owned by Fortis Sports Club located at Badda in the capital.
“This is not the first time he is practicing outside his house as we have seen him running in the streets. [Tuesday] we saw him doing workout in a vacant field. He will have to take all the responsibility for his actions [as we are not responsible if any untoward incident happen due to it],” said BCB cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan to the media Tuesday.
The statement from the BCB director has come as a surprise, given that the board has recently boasted of keeping its facilities on standby in case there is resumption of the game.
Akram however, had his explanation.
“I think our grounds are ready for practice but we cannot call the players to the field straightaway as we want to see how things stand [with Covid-19 pandemic] in the next couple of days and take a decision,” said Akram.
BCB recently took the initiative of allowing players to borrow training equipments that would help the cricketers to follow the fitness regime staying at home.
Mushfiq was one of the first to avail the facilities borrowing gym equipments from the board.
The right-handed batsman had visited the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur Monday to borrow some of the equipments from the BCB gymnasium.
“We have all the facilities ready but amid the current situation, especially in places like Mirpur, we discourage cricketers to come. Mirpur is in the red zone. But we have everything ready,” said BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.
“At the same time what we are doing is giving some of our equipment to the players so that they can do some work even while sitting at home. Even then, if anyone else is using any other opportunity, they are doing it on a personal level. They are doing it on their own responsibility, we have no involvement in it,” the BCB high-up added.
Nizamuddin emphasized that the players have been asked to remain vigilant and echoed similar sentiments as Akram, that the board shall not be responsible if a player chooses to arrange private practice session in the field.
“The elite players of our team have been told the guidelines if they want to practice. Even then, they have been advised to be more vigilant in the current situation. Even now, if anyone contacts a private organization, they will do so at their own responsibility. We have nothing to say or do here,” said Nizamuddin.
