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The crisis in Bangladesh cricket has taken a serious turn as Mohammad Mithun, president of the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), said he has been receiving severe threats involving physical harm to players.
Mithun alleged that he has been receiving abusive calls and WhatsApp messages from various unknown domestic and international numbers.
The anonymous senders have accused the cricketers of acting as “agents” to create an “unstable environment” in the country, according to a UNB report.
One specific threat carried a chilling warning, he said, stating that “after today, no cricketer will be able to walk safely on Bangladesh soil”.
Mithun noted that the volume of such threats escalated significantly after 9:00 pm on Thursday.
“We haven't spoken against the country, so I don't understand why these threats are coming,” Mithun said. “As cricketers, we spoke about our rights — is that a crime?”
Mithun, who is captaining the Dhaka Capitals in the ongoing BPL, said that he has not yet taken formal legal action but is considering doing so.
The threats target Mithun as he leads the players' negotiations with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) regarding the boycott demanding the resignation of director M Najmul Islam.
Earlier in the day, Mithun had announced that players would only return to the field if Najmul offered a public apology for his offensive remarks.
However, later on Thursday night, the players agreed to continue playing the BPL from Friday.