FICA takes legal route over BPL payments

New Delhi: The continued failure of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchises to clear the dues of players who took part in the Twenty20 league could hurt the board chief Mustafa Kamal's ambitions of becoming the next ICC president.

Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) has initiated legal proceedings against the BCB and BPL franchises for their failure to pay the players. "The integrity of people involved in the leadership of Bangladesh cricket is spiralling downwards uncontrollably. We have had continued assurances from Mustafa Kamal - a man touted as the next ICC president - but the continued non-payment does not reflect him in a particularly good light," Tim May, the FICA chief, said.

After failing to make payments despite getting ample time since the BPL concluded in February, the organisation has instructed lawyers in Dhaka to file a claim against the BCB and franchises. "It was stipulated by contract how much the players would be paid and the date by which they would receive the payment. It was also stipulated that, if the franchises couldn't pay, then the BCB would act as guarantors and would make the payments," May was quoted as saying by a website.

FICA also said that the non delivery of payments could hurt BCB chief Mustafa Kamal\'s ambitions of becoming the next ICC president.

"We have been waiting for four months. Deadlines have come and gone and all we have had is a litany of excuses. It has come to the stage where all avenues of dialogue have dried up and the BCB have stopped responding to FICA," he added.

May termed the BCB's behaviour as "amateurish". "If we had a relationship based on trust we could understand their issues and agree a timeline for payments, as we did with the Sri Lanka board when they had some cash flow difficulties. But they have behaved in an amateurish manner and we have no confidence in them or their integrity."

Top international stars such as Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Stuart MacGill and Peter Trego played in the event.

May said FICA will advice the players to not get involved in future unless they are either paid, or receive bank guarantees.

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