Mehidy Hasan Miraz was talked out of leaving the Chattogram Challengers' team set up by the owner of the franchise, Rifatul Islam.
Claiming the captaincy debacle was nothing more than a misunderstanding, Miraz said following a 2 hours meeting with the owners, “They understood that they should have informed me before taking away the captaincy.”
When asked about whether he will accept the captaincy if approached by the owners again, Miraz said to the press, “I will continue as a player but won’t accept captaincy if approached again.”
“I was informed by our manager just three hours before the Khulna match that I have been removed from captaincy. I was shocked with the revelation as we were about to head towards the stadium at that time,” Miraz noted.
“Management has every right to make calls regarding the starting eleven or captaincy. I have no problem being removed. But I was hurt as they informed me the matter just before a game,” the all-rounder said at a press conference held at Hotel Peninsula of Chattogram.
Regarding rumours that Miraz was involved in a brawl with a junior player of the team, he said, “Most of them are like my friends and younger brothers. Few of them are my respectable seniors.”
“These are propagandas which have been spread to make me look bad.”
Earlier on the day, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was spotted storming out of Chattogram Challenger’s team hotel in protest of being stripped off the franchise’s captaincy.
Things took a dramatic turn as logistics manager of the team Hirok emerged into the scene while Miraz was talking with the media in front of Hotel Peninsula, where the players are staying and talked him back into the hotel to have a formal meeting with the owners.
The all-rounder kept on saying in front of journalists, “If the COO (Chief Operating Officer of Chattogram Challengers) Yasir stays then I will not play.”
He claimed that he felt insulted as he was informed about being removed from captaincy just three hours before yesterday’s game.
“I don't have any qualms with the owner, he is a very good man. I have heard that before the coach left, he had said a lot about me. I heard that I only play for myself and I am selfish. I talked to the coach for 30 minutes today and he didn't say anything like that," Miraz continued.
Miraz identified Chattogram chief operating officer Yasir Alam as the root of all problems.
"I see that he is always busy. If he's in the team I will not play. If Yasir is not there, then I will play for the team."
However, the Bangladeshi all-rounder mentioned his mother's illness in a letter sent to BCB chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, which he confirmed himself.
In the middle of this conversation, the logistics manager of Chattogram came to take Miraz upstairs for a chat.
Miraz did not attend the practice session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury with the team earlier. He even booked a Dhaka bound flight ticket and left the hotel with his family at 4:15 pm.
On Saturday, Chattogram Challengers’ management removed Miraz from captaincy before their match against Khulna Tigers in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
Following the move, Syed Yasir Alam, Chattogram's COO, informed the media that the decision was taken as per the recommendation of Chattogram coach Paul Nixon.
However, Nixon returned to his country on Friday to take charge of county team Leicestershire.
“Even after leaving the team, he has been in regular contact with Chattogram team management,” noted Yasir.
