All of us want a solution: Shakib
A positive vibe prevailed from the morning yesterday with indications that a resolution regarding the national cricketers' strike that started on Monday would be made by the end of the day.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials were not able to contact any national cricketer since the announcement of the strike after putting forth an 11-point demand on Monday evening.
However, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury informed yesterday that he had been able to reach Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal on Tuesday evening and that the opener said he would have to sit with other players before coming to a decision.
Yesterday morning, BCB President Nazmul Hassan and Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) President Naimur Rahman met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to discuss, and try to put and an end to, the strike called by the cricketers ahead of the national team's tour of India next month and the third round of the National Cricket League from Thursday.
After Hassan and Naimur returned to the BCB offices in Mirpur from Gono Bhaban, waiting for the players' response, the national players gathered at a hotel in Gulshan to discuss amongst themselves before meeting with board officials.
Their discussions were followed by a press conference, where they put forth an updated list of demands with two new points added. Bangladesh T20I and Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan said that even the players wanted to get back to cricketing activities and that they were hoping the BCB and the players would be able to come to a solution following the national cricketers' strike.
"Even we hope that it will be solved. None of us are far from the BCB. The two parts [players and directors] combine to form the board. There are also other parts but these are the two basic parts. We all have the same respect towards the BCB and none of us want to attack any BCB official or others personally. All the players here want to play, to stay healthy and to support their families through cricket. For this reason, sometimes they need to make such demands and that's what they did," Shakib told media.
"If you give us privacy, then we will discuss it among ourselves and either call you people and let you know about our decision or we will tell you about our decision before going to the BCB." said Shakib.
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