Asif Stands Firm on His Statement: “What I Said, I Said Correctly”

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has organised a two-day cricket conference to address the dire state of the country’s cricket. On Sunday (9th November), during the first day of the conference, BCB director and renowned singer Asif Akbar expressed his frustration over the scarcity of cricket grounds.

Asif claimed that one of the main reasons why district-level cricketers are unable to find grounds is the dominance of football over these spaces. He also criticised the attitude of football players, calling it poor. His comments sparked widespread backlash within the football community, with many current and former footballers demanding an apology from the BCB director. However, Asif remains steadfast in his position.

On the second day of the conference, Monday (10th November), Asif clarified his stance, saying, “Our footballer brothers were a bit angry with me yesterday. I wasn’t angry. We should have a debate. I want the discussion to happen. All I asked for was a ground. For the last 26-27 years, we have been denied that.”

He further explained, “Football is our game too. I have two sons who are footballers. Football is our game, cricket is our game, hockey is our game. So, why should we face discrimination at the grassroots level? Why should our stadium gates be locked?”

Addressing the issue of creating pitches once grounds are available, Asif said, “Once we get the grounds, I will arrange for the wickets to be made. If I see that we’re not getting the grounds, I’ll keep discussing it. You (football authorities) should clearly state when football will finish, then we will get the ground, and we will prepare the wickets. But don’t stop us from playing on the mat.”

Reaffirming that his previous statement was correct, Asif said, “What I said yesterday is absolutely correct. I can prove it to those in football who are angry with me, but I don’t want to get into that here. And I want them to remain angry, so that they will give us the grounds and let us play.”