The Noakhali team came to practice at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday afternoon. However, angry about the various irregularities within the team, coach Khaled Mahmud left the field in a CNG autorickshaw with assistant coach Talha Jobayer.
While leaving, Mahmud’s body language was gunpowder, and fire was coming out of his voice. “I don’t want to work, I won’t do BPL…”, “There are many coaches, they can take the coach”, he left with such explosive comments.
The cricketers were on the field. Before the end of the practice, Mahmud and Talha returned to the field in a black car. At that time, the Noakhali coach was seen talking to the BCB director and tournament officials.
”This is a misunderstanding… a misunderstanding happened in the heat of the moment. But thanks to the team owners, who are standing behind me, both of them. They talked to me. The BCB also talked to me a little.”
“It was a misunderstanding… I was a little upset because there were no facilities for practice… I didn’t get the equipment I needed. They behaved a little rudely with me. Then I thought, ‘The tournament hasn’t even started, if they behave like this now, what will happen if we lose the game!’ But they are quite caring, both of them (the captains) talked to me, the team chairman talked. It was just a misunderstanding, nothing more.”
After Mahmud and Talha left the field in the afternoon, the BCB officials and the franchise owners started running around. This was reflected in their return to the field. After the practice, they left the field in the team bus. BCB President Aminul Islam then went ahead and hugged Mahmud and thanked him for coming back.
Although there was such a heated argument within the team before the start of the tournament, Mahmud finally raised the flag of peace and praised the franchise authorities.
“I am very happy with my franchise. Since I have done many BPLs, starting with our uniforms, providing quality uniforms, paying the cricketers today, I am really happy that they are keeping their promises. I hope that they will stay with us like this for the entire tournament, making a commitment.”
“They are very young. You can see, they are very young. They have a love for cricket, that is why they came here. I hope that they will maintain it throughout the tournament. We will have such a bond as a team. What happened today may have been good on one hand, it may have been better if it had happened earlier than it happened. We will be more united, there will be a bond within the team.”
