Suspect Sylhet continue downturn

While their on-field performance was not remarkable in the least, there was much else about Sylhet Thunder’s ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) campaign that have set tongues wagging, and not in the good sense. Sylhet ended their campaign yesterday on a record low, becoming the only team in the tournament’s history to win just one match in an entire season.

Instead of exploits on the field, discussions surrounding Sylhet were more about the chaos, suspicions of underhanded workings and differences between the core group of players and the management from the first day of the season.

At the end of a horrid season, Sylhet captain Andre Fletcher met Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB] CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury with the ‘intention to report on happenings within the team’ that the cricketer believed was not right.

It is understood that Fletcher, who took over as the captain following Mosaddek Hossain’s injury, first contacted a few friends in the Bangladesh cricket fraternity and was looking for an opportunity to speak to BCB President Nazmul Hasan.

Nizamuddin confirmed meeting with the West Indian but claimed that it was for general reasons.

“Fletcher met me and shared his observations of the tournament [BBPL] regarding facilities, organisation and his experiences for the betterment of the tournament in the coming days,” Nizamuddin told The Daily Star yesterday.

It all started right from the opening game of the BBPL when Sylhet’s West Indies seamer Krishmar Santokie bowled a gigantic wide and followed it with a huge no-ball against Chattogram Challengers, raising suspicions of untoward intentions.

Even Sylhet team director Tanjil Chowdhury, one of seven BCB directors appointed attached to each teams, was quoted in the media raising questions over suspicious activities and also revealed that he had an argument with the team sponsors over irrelevant player selection during the players’ draft. Tanjil however later clarified in a social media post that there were no such issues.

The BCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit even interrogated Santokie over the no-ball, but the anti-corruption unit had not found evidence against the Windies seamer.

But things remained fishy for Sylhet throughout the tournament, whether their playing eleven selections or bowling changes that at times surprised the TV commentators.

One such instance took place yesterday as Sylhet went lost by five wickets against Cumilla as left- arm spinner Nazmul Islam bowled just one over -- his first over of the game in the 17th over of the innings – while part-timer Johnson Charles bowled 3.1 overs. Cumilla won with five balls to spare after at one point needing 87 off 48 balls.

Sylhet fielded three foreigners in their playing eleven, leaving out one from the quota of four foreign players in the playing eleven yesterday, which also raised questions over the quality of the team and their intent.