Brothers players boycott Agrani Bank match over unpaid dues

Brothers Union's Dhaka Premier League (DPL) clash against Agrani Bank at BKSP on Friday ended in an embarrassing walkover after Brothers players boycotted the match over unpaid salaries and allowances, senior player Sohag Gazi confirmed to The Daily Star.

The protest stemmed from a long-running dispute between the Brothers cricketers and club officials over outstanding payments. Sohag alleged that repeated assurances from the club management had failed to materialise.

"Before leaving for Hajj, Amin Khan assured us that money would be arranged. He handed over the responsibility to [club official] Mashrur Omi. Before Eid, the players waited at the club and later stood outside Mashrur’s residence for nearly two and a half to three hours. After the long wait, they were handed small packets containing a mere 6,000 to 35,000 taka.

“Yet, at that very time, the officials themselves were buying sacrificial cows for 2-3 lakh taka, showing absolutely no regard for the Eid celebrations of the 30 players' families.

"The players had proposed that if they were paid at least 50 percent of their dues, they would waive the remaining 50 percent even if the team faced relegation. Feeling insulted, when the players returned the money, the officials verbally abused them using highly distasteful language. Despite attempts to contact the management after Eid regarding payments and other issues, no positive response was received," Shohag told The Daily Star.

Gazi further informed that the Brothers cricketers had arrived at the ground in the morning to play the match. However, the dispute over payments remained unresolved before the scheduled start.

"Amin Khan bluntly told us, 'Play if you want to, or don't. I don't care if the team gets relegated.' Currently, the players are in an extreme financial crisis; many cannot pay house rent or afford daily groceries," Gazi said.

He also mentioned that the players have spoken regarding the ongoing crisis with Mohammad Mithun, president of the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), and Tamim Iqbal, head of the BCB ad hoc committee.

Brothers Union have had a miserable run in the Premier League this season, winning just one of their nine matches. With only two points, they currently sit bottom of the 12-team standings.