The controversy surrounding Tawhid Hridoy's suspension has created a stir in the cricket community. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is facing pressure from both cricketers and the umpire committee. To address the issue, BCB President Faruque Ahmed held a meeting with the cricketers and umpires of Mohammedan Sporting Club.
After the meeting, Tamim Iqbal, the former captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team, expressed his frustration during a media interaction. This marked Tamim's first media appearance after suffering a heart attack during a Premier League match.
On the night of Thursday, April 24, news broke that cricketers would hold a press conference regarding Hridoy's suspension, with Tamim Iqbal set to attend. As a result, several cricketers, including Nurul Hasan Sohan, Sabbir Rahman, Shariful Islam, Shamiim Hossain Patowari, and others, gathered at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla on Friday (April 25). The cricketers then met with BCB President Farook Ahmed to discuss the matter.
After the meeting, Tamim spoke to the media about Hridoy's punishment. He said, "At first, when Hridoy was given a two-match suspension, no one said anything. Later, the suspension was reduced to one match. But now, after he played two more matches, the suspension has been reinstated. This whole situation with Hridoy makes no sense. Lifting the two-match suspension only to impose another one is absurd."
When journalists inquired whether Mohammedan had pressured Hridoy to play, Tamim responded, "Whether Mohammedan pressured him to play or not is not the key issue. What matters is whether the BCB permitted him to play. If the BCB permitted him, then he had served his punishment. How can a player be punished again for the same offense after serving his punishment? That's the point we made, and we've communicated how we feel. They have made their decision in their own way."
Tamim continued, expressing his frustration, "The reason we are all gathered here today is because of certain incidents that have occurred over the last few months. These incidents have raised questions in every player's mind, and they have been disappointed. I can share a few points with you. First, when Hridoy had an incident on the field, he was initially given a two-match suspension. At the time, no player or anyone else raised any concerns. Later, the suspension was reduced to one match, and we did not comment on it. But now, they've imposed another suspension, and I'm not sure what rule they are following or how they are doing this. To me, it's ridiculous and should not be considered a valid suspension."
It is important to note that on April 12, during the last match of the Round Robin League of the DPL against Abahani Limited, Hridoy got into an argument with umpire Sharafuddin Ibne Shahid Soikat, resulting in a two-match suspension. Mohammedan Sporting Club later appealed for the suspension to be reduced, and the league authorities subsequently reduced it to one match.
