Jalal Yunus, a former fast bowler and prominent sports organizer, has resigned from his position as a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director and chairman of the cricket operations committee. This move comes after the National Sports Council (NSC), the governing body for 41 sports organizations in Bangladesh, requested his resignation.
Yunus’s resignation is part of a broader effort by the NSC to reform sports federations in the country, including the BCB. The NSC’s new sports adviser, Asif Mahmud, has called for a politics-free sporting arena, a departure from the BCB’s history of political influence.
Yunus, who played professionally in the 1980s, has been involved in cricket administration since the late 1990s. He has held various key roles within the BCB since 2009, including his most recent position as cricket operations head.
In his resignation statement, Yunus expressed his support for the NSC’s efforts to improve cricket governance. “I have resigned for the greater interest of cricket,” he said. “I am all for cricket running properly and correctly.”
Meanwhile, Ahmed Sajjadul Alam, another NSC-nominated director in the BCB, has declined the board’s request to step down. Alam, a veteran sports organizer and current chairman of the BCB’s tournament committee, stated that the NSC should make the decision regarding his position.
The NSC is expected to nominate a replacement for Yunus as their director in the BCB. Faruque Ahmed, a former Bangladesh captain and two-time chief selector, is reportedly the likely candidate.
The BCB, which oversees Bangladesh’s most popular sport, has been criticized for its political connections in recent years. The board has included members of parliament, former MPs, and relatives of the country’s prime minister.
The NSC’s move to reform the BCB is seen as a step towards creating a more transparent and accountable sports administration in Bangladesh.
