Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division T20 Cricket League is abound with controversies. Mohammedan Sporting Club skipper Shakib Al Hasan recently lost his cool on-field and kicked the wickets with his left foot after Abahani Limited batter Mushfiqur Rahim was adjudged not out by the umpire.
Shakib later also uprooted the stumps in a fit of rage and was banned for three games following his unacceptable behaviour.
After Shakib, Legends of Rupganj cricketer Sabbir Rahman bore the brunt of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday. Sabbir was penalized BDT 50,000 after being found guilty of hurling racial abuses at Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club player Elias Sunny.
Sunny, in an interview, stated that the maligning instance first happened on June 13 when he was battling it out against Legends of Rupganj, and Sabbir started calling him names referring to his skin colour.
“Sabbir started abusing me when I was batting against Rupganj on June 13. I asked him thrice whether he understood what he was saying, but he kept repeating it. I got angry, after which the umpires had to separate us. But he kept calling me “kalo” (black, referring to his skin color) repeatedly from the outfield. We won the match, so I didn’t react too much,” Sunny told ESPNcricinfo.
Legends of Rupganj won that contest, and Sunny chose to ignore the impropriety. However, Sabbir didn’t mend his ways as he teased Sunny and threw stones at him during Wednesday’s match.
“During today’s (Wednesday’s) match, when we were fielding, Rupganj’s bus had arrived near the BKSP 3 ground. He started teasing me with the same “kalo, kalo”. I didn’t react at first. But shortly afterwards, he threw a stone at me. I maintained the protocol by telling the umpires. The play was stopped for a while. I also spoke to the match referee,” he added.
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club manager Sultan Mahmud was also fined BDT 50,000, while Sunny has been given an official warning.
Sabbir, on the other hand, denied all the claims and argued that Sunny is a senior player and the former didn’t disrespect him.
This is not the first time that Sabbir has been involved in disputes. He was banned for six months for abusing a fan on social media and also ousted from his national contract for physically assaulting a young boy in 2018.
