Chaos in Rangers dressing room
Image : Collected
|| CF Correspondent ||
Rangpur Rangers is just not struggling inside the field only but outside as well in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League.
With just one win in five matches so far in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League, the struggle on the field for Rangpur Rangers has affected the dressing room as well.
Followed by the below par performance from Rangpur, it was learned that the team director Enayet Husain Siraj’s intervene in team management’s decision has irked many within the Rangpur side.
During their game against Khulna Tigers on Friday, Rangpur had fielded wicket-keeper batsman Zakir Hasan in the playing eleven. However Zakir’s inclusion was objected by the opposition as they had to correct the playing XI including Shadman Islam in place of Zakir.
It was revealed that Zakir was kept out from the Rangpur Rangers squad for an injury which he had sustained during the opening day of the BBPL as right-arm pacer Mukidul Islam was named as the replacement in the squad.
Zakir recovered from the injury after a week as the Rangpur team management decided to include the wicket-keeper batsman back into the squad.
This led to another problem for Rangpur as they exceeded the maximum number of local cricketers a team can sign.
Including Zakir the squad now involved 13 local cricketers where according to the tournament by-laws a team cannot have more than twelve players.
According to the sources Rangpur had emailed the BCB technical committee to bring back Zakir in place of another batsman, Mohammad Al Amin jr, who however is not injured.
The technical committee however have not approved Rangpur’s request but despite that Zakir was put into the Rangpur playing eleven which according to the sources by the wish of Siraj.
There is allegation that Siraj is also interfering into making the playing XI and don’t pay any heed to the suggestions from the head coach Mark O'Donnell, team advisor Habibul Bashar, another team director Akram Khan and the ‘captains’.
Rangpur so far fielded three captains in six games where Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi was initially given the role to lead the team. But the consecutive defeats in the first four games saw Nabi stepped down from the captaincy where English cricketer Tom Abell was given the leadership in the fifth game.
But despite getting their maiden win in the tournament under Abell Rangpur once again changed their skipper as former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson who joined the team in the previous day was given the charge to lead the side on Friday against Khulna Tigers.
“Is it a fault for me to take players? The players were taken for the betterment of the team. I do not find anything wrong if some needed changes are made to the team recommended by the coaching staffs. I have nothing to do if questions are being raised. I have been involved with cricket for a very long time,” explained Siraj once quarried of the happenings inside Rangpur Rangers.
Prior to the BBPL the BCB had appointed seven directors as team directors of the respective teams. Former Bangladesh captain Akram Khan was initially given the responsibility of Rangpur who had also formed the squad.
However, Enayet made a switch to Rangpur from Rajshahi Royals just a day before the start of the tournament with directions from the BCB. The board had made Siraj move to the new team as his business Incepta Pharmaceuticals had acquired sponsorship of Rangpur.
According to sources things hasn’t gone well between Siraj and Akram so far and amidst all the chaos off the field it will be interesting to see whether Rangpur could able to find some stability as the tournament approaches the business end.
