‘Cricket gone, circus remains’: Aftab reflects BCB reality

“Bangladesh’s biggest circus is the cricket board, and the ones around it,” former Bangladesh cricketer Aftab Ahmed said in a video posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.

Known for his audacious style during his playing days, Aftab did not hold back, voicing a sentiment that many Bangladesh cricket fans would likely agree with.

Those involved in and around Bangladesh cricket seem to possess a unique ability -- keeping the sport relevant even when there is no action on the field. Whether it is allegations of irregularities in management, payment disputes in domestic leagues, or uncertainties at the club level, Bangladesh cricket continues to dominate headlines.

The latest episode saw the National Sports Council (NSC) dissolve the Aminul Islam Bulbul-led Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) last Tuesday, citing irregularities in the board elections held in October 2025.

While the NSC has the authority to dissolve any sporting body in Bangladesh, the decisions that followed -- and even the events leading up to this situation -- have been nothing short of dramatic. This probably prompted Aftab to remark: “Even if you buy a ticket worth Tk 2,000, it will not go in vain considering the type of circus going on in the cricket board.”

An 11-member ad hoc committee has since been formed to run the board, with former national skipper Tamim Iqbal as its head. Notably, Tamim had earlier withdrawn from contesting the previous BCB elections, alleging “political interference and conspiracies.” Why the NSC chose to investigate these matters months after the elections remains a question worth pondering.

Meanwhile, four of the remaining 10 committee members have links to leaders of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), either as spouses or sons. Barrister Rashna Imam is the wife of BNP lawmaker Bobby Hajjaj, while Mirza Yasir Abbas, Syed Ibrahim Ahmed, and Israfil Khosru are sons of senior political figures Mirza Abbas, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, respectively.

As Aftab pointed out, even those with little or no interest in sports are now familiar with the individuals placed in charge of the cricket board -- often without making any effort to follow BCB affairs.

In a sarcastic tone, Aftab described this as a ‘credit’ to both the people of Bangladesh and the media, which, he suggested, forcefully feeds such information even to unwilling audiences.

“I have been living in the USA for the past three years, but I still don’t know where the cricket board is located. Despite working with cricket almost every day, I don’t even know the [USA cricket] board’s location, let alone its members.

“You could say it is my failure that I don’t know. But people in Bangladesh don’t have that failure. Do you know why? Because even if you do not know, you will be informed by the media. Even if you do not want to know, they will make sure you do, through constant amplification,” Aftab added.

Although Aftab’s remarks may come across as sarcastic jabs, they reflect the troubling state of cricket in a country where the sport is deeply loved.

Aftab concluded by saying he “does not know how long this circus will continue. Cricket doesn’t exist anymore; the circus does. I request you all to witness the circus.”

For now, it seems that is all Bangladesh fans can do -- watch from a distance as the circus unfolds.