Bangladesh national all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan appeared for a hearing called by the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s disciplinary committee yesterday. The half hour hearing was related to the brawl involving Shakib at the general viewing stand of Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium during the rain-affected first ODI between Bangladesh and India.
According to Jalal Younus,the BCB director and also the chairman of the media committee, it will take around five more days to reach a conclusion regarding the issue.
“We heard Shakib’s version of the bust-up. We are only concerned about how Shakib managed to enter the general viewing area during the game,” informed Jalal.
The BCB director explained that the board cannot deal with an issue such as this where Shakib raised hand on spectators because it has now become court’s concern now after Shakib filed a case against the group of spectators.
“We cannot do anything with the part where it is mentioned that he (Shakib) had a fight with the spectators as the issue is in the court now,” said Jalal.
Jalal also added that the disciplinary committee would talk to others related to the issue if needed and they were still waiting for a report from team manager Khaled Mahmud Sujon.
However, Shaikb, one of the leading all-rounders of world cricket, denied of raising hands on the spectators although he confessed that he had breached the code of conduct of both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the BCB by leaving the dressing room without permission during the game. But Shakib stunned a majority of those present at the hearing when he admitted that he was not aware of the rules and regulations.
Questions were asked and eyebrows were raised as to how a former national skipper and a cricketer who participates in tournaments around the world could be unaware of the regulations. It was also unfathomable as to how an experienced cricketer of the team, especially against the backdrop of the recent end to the ignominious BPL match-fixing affairs, could be so callous of entering the general viewing area of the stadium during a game which again has made country’s cricket the headline for a negative reason.
This reporter of the Dhaka Tribune came across another version of the bust up in question. It has been reported since day one of the incident that Shakib charged the group of spectators after he learned of his wife Ummey Ahmed Shishir being teased. However, the other version of the bust up according to a BCB security personnel paints a different picture which puts Shishir’s innocence under threat as she is the one who actually sparked the whole affair which was later blown out of proportion by Shakib.
According to the BCB security requesting anonymity, the group of spectators was making ill comments on Bangladesh cricketers and was doing so amongst themselves only. Shishir, sitting near to the group, protested against their comments which then diverted the group’s attention towards the star-cricketer’s wife.
Meanwhile, Shakib, who filed a case against one Rahib Rahman Khan under the Prevention of Repression against Woman and Children act, has informed of continuing the legal battle. Rahib was arrested by police and was later granted bail by the judge of Tribunal 5.
Shakib was surprised to see Rahib getting bail as he has always known cases under Repression against Woman and Children act is non-bailable.
However, Rahid’s lawyer Masud Ahmed also had told the media that the case was non-bailable but he did manage to secure it for his client by arguing that the case filed by Shakib did not fall under Clause 10 of the Prevention of Repression against Women and Children 2003 (Amended) Law.
