The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful has said nothing is more important to him than representing the country.

He made the remark in an interview with TigerCricket.com during the Tigers training at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Wednesday when he appeared before the journalists for the first time since returning from a vacation in England.

Ashraful's interview with TigerCricket.com is given below:

Question (Q): It is being said that players in Bangladesh received offers to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL) through you. What do you say to that?

Mohammad Ashraful (MA): I had received the ICL offer first through an agent for a sum of 2.1 million dollars for a three-year contract. Immediately, I informed the Board's Cricket Operations Committee chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the Chairman of Selectors and my coach Wahidul Ghani and discussed the offer with them. The Chairman told me that joining the ICL would stop me from representing Bangladesh. On the other hand, there was a good chance that more Bangladeshi players might be getting Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts this season. When I heard that I could not play for Bangladesh I straightaway refused the offer.

Q: Did you at any point let the Board know that there could be a player exodus?

MA: If I had any idea that so many players were actually joining then I definitely would have. I went to England on a vacation after returning from Australia and did a couple of charity fund-raising projects there for the Cyclone Sidr victims. I only came to know about the players going to the ICL from newspapers while I was in the UK.

Q: But players who have joined the ICL have said that you had introduced them to the agent and that you were the mastermind behind the ICL drama…

MA: That is totally wrong. I have never met that agent and only spoke to him over phone. He is well known to many Bangladeshi players and he has arranged sponsors for a number of local players and helped them in getting club cricket contracts in England. I believe he contacted them directly.

I have also heard that I am being projected as the mastermind. People who are saying that should remember that the biggest offer came to me, and 15 crore Taka over a three-year period is not a matter of joke. But my involvement with the ICL ended the moment I refused that offer.

Q: Some of the players have pointed fingers at you and said that they joined the ICL after you had assured them that you would be signing too. Wicket-keeper Dhiman Ghosh reportedly said that you had encouraged him to join ICL after giving it straight to him that his place in the side would never be secure…

MA: I would have preferred if he (Dhiman) had said that in front of me. I don't know why players are saying all those things. When I declined the offer everyone close to me including the Board knew about it even before we left for Australia. It was no secret.

I read somewhere that a couple of the guys had remarked that I wanted them out of the way as they could have been future captains. If they knew they were captaincy material then why on earth they would want to leave?

Q: Some of the ICL cricketers said they were disillusioned and upset at the way they were being treated in the Bangladesh team…

MA: If some people had held grudges they never told us. Professional players should understand that if you are out of the side that means you are not performing. There is no way in the world that you will be left out when you have performance to back you up.

For example, my captaincy is now being criticized by you. It is not because of the way I do the field-placements or field. It is because I am not delivering with the bat. Players don't get selected by the coach, captain or the selectors. They get themselves selected through performance and this is applicable to any level of cricket you play.

Q: There is also speculation that if you lose captaincy then you could be joining the ICL…

MA: Even if I lose captaincy I would not consider joining the ICL because I want to play Tests and ODIs for Bangladesh. If I am dropped for form I know that I can bounce back even if it takes two years because I have age on my side. I am 24 now and I believe I have at least ten years of international cricket left in me and batsmen are usually at the peak of their prowess at 26-27. Nothing is more important to me than representing the country.

Q: Was the ICL issue discussed when the Tigers were touring Australia?

MA: The coach (Jamie Siddons) told me that there were mutterings that some players could be signing for the ICL. When we asked the players they all denied interest straightaway. I didn't see the matter having an impact on the tour. Among the players who later joined the ICL, Dhiman's wicket-keeping was brilliant throughout the ODI series, Farhad Reza bowled beautifully when he got the chance and Alok (Kopali) looked okay in the lead up matches.

Q: How do you look at the decision of those joining the ICL?

MA: The ICL is a competition that is not recognized by the ICC and BCB. I would only think of joining something like the ICL if it received clearance from the game's governing body or the Board. I don't want to comment on their collective decision but I believe if those players still want to return the door is open for them and the BCB would do everything to facilitate them.

Q: Can Bangladesh cricket recover from losing so many top cricketers?

MA: Look, we have lost 14 out of roughly 160 first class cricketers. The players joining the ICL have lost out on more I guess because they can't play international or first class cricket and there will be others to fill in the gap. It is true that we will miss their experience to a certain extent because they had played top level cricket for a number of years but the newer guys will gain experience the same way.

Q: You look fresh and full of energy in training. What is the reason?

MA: (Laughs) I think the 15-day vacation in England is responsible for that.