Provide proof of wrongdoing – Anamul Haque to BCB

Former Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque has asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board to provide proof of any wrongdoing that led to his exclusion from the Bangladesh Premier League players' draft list.

The right-handed batter, who was among eight cricketers removed from the final BPL draft list after being placed in the red-flag zone due to match-fixing allegations from the previous tournament, stated during a Facebook live session that the board should suspend him from all cricket if found guilty, but must provide public proof.

The BCB issued a statement explaining: "The BCB takes all allegations of corruption extremely seriously. In preparing for BPL Season 12, the Governing Council received advice from the Independent Chair of the Integrity Unit on steps necessary to further safeguard the League. Based on that advice, a number of individuals, including some players, have not been invited to participate in this year's tournament."

"This is a BPL-specific measure taken to ensure fairness of the investigation process and to protect the integrity of the league. It does not apply to other domestic cricket events conducted under the jurisdiction of the BCB," the board added.

Unable to reach BCB officials by phone, Anamul expressed his frustration on social media: "First of all, I would not have done this live if I could have reached them over the phone. I have tried to contact them via email. If they had responded, maybe the live would not have been necessary."

"So my first question is: After today's news, when I was dropped from the draft – what is the reason behind it? Am I guilty? If I am guilty, I want proof. On behalf of the people of Bangladesh, I want to say to BCB, to the BPL Governing Council – if I am guilty, then ban me for life."

"I am not a favorite player for many, maybe not a good teammate for many, maybe not even a good player for many. So okay, I don't need to play anymore, Alhamdulillah. If I am guilty, I don't need to play. And if I'm not, then you have humiliated me in every possible way. Who will answer for this humiliation? Who will return my honor to me? Where does this end?"

"You are talking about 'Red Flag.' What does Red Flag mean? What does it actually mean?"

"My question is: The meeting I had with BCB Anti-Corruption – the questions they asked me there – how did that become public in Prothom Alo? Who are these people who leak BCB and players' internal information to journalists?"

"Second question: Over the last year, I have faced many baseless and strange news stories in the media. I have never seen any crystal clear press conference from BCB that explains whether a player is innocent or guilty. There has been no such conference or publicity. Why didn't they do it?"

"The third question is, in last year's BPL, I had a contract of 50 lakh taka. Out of that, I received only 20 lakh. I have not received the remaining 30 lakh taka. For the past year, I have made countless phone calls, exchanged emails, and personally visited those responsible in BPL and BCB. I even showed them checks from the Rajshahi team that I have, but there is no money in them. I asked them to take action. But for the last year, I still haven't received my 30 lakh taka. Why didn't I receive it?"

"This is my point. The past year has already happened. If you have proof against me, suspend me. I will happily accept it. Let the entire country know that I am bad, that I'm guilty, that I am not a good person. And if not, then you have to return my honor. You have to answer for the damage to my reputation."

"That was all I had to say to you. And if my name even comes up in the BPL again, why would a team want to take a boy linked to a fixing scandal, right? But I have demand every year. Alhamdulillah, maybe in the first call, second call, or I have played for big teams – the opportunities are still there. So my only regret and sadness is that I did not get or am not getting the honor I deserve from BCB and neither from the BPL Governing Council."

"And to everyone here who supports me, loves me – my message is crystal clear: I can say that I am 100 percent honest. I have not done any illegal activity that I should feel guilty for. Thank you, everyone. I hope BCB takes notice and becomes active regarding these matters. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for loving me."