Bad Days At The Office

The Big Bash League (BBL) is the premier T20 competition in Australia. It's nearing it's end for the season. A particular feature for this season was the Pakistani imports of Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers); Shaheen Shah Afridi (Brisbane Heat) and Mohammad Rizwan (Melbourne Renegades). The latter was caught into a rather humiliating situation. He was forced to retire out by the Renegades to up the scoring rate.

Since the beginning, the BBL has always delivered some unreal dramas but in this season, that goes beyond imagination as it has also stepped outside the 22 yards. Among all the thrills, a controversial moment put the tournament on fire as the Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter was forced to take a ‘retire-out’ against Sydney Thunder.

Mohammad Rizwan was forced to retire out during Melbourne Renegades' BBL match against the Sydney Thunder on Monday. The incident occurred after the final ball of the 18th over, with Rizwan batting on 26 off 23 balls. Renegades captain, Will Sutherland, signalled Rizwan to make the long walk back before replacing him himself in the middle. However, Sutherland's stay lasted just one ball, as he was run out on the penultimate delivery of the 19th over.

While the exact reason behind the decision to retire Rizwan out remains unknown, fans suggested it was a tactical call, with the Pakistan wicketkeeper struggling to find boundaries during his knock. Rizwan became the first overseas player in the BBL to be retired out. This came just days after Sydney Thunder batter, Nic Maddinson, retired himself out against the Hobart Hurricanes in what was his comeback game in the BBL.

The move sparked discussion in Pakistan’s cricket circles, with several former players and fans calling it disrespectful for a player of Rizwan’s standing. Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland and head coach have issued an apology to Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan following a controversial decision to retire him out during a Big Bash League match due to slow scoring.

The unusual incident occurred during a tense phase of the game when Rizwan, struggling to accelerate the run rate, was asked to leave the field despite being not out. Sources close to the team confirmed that the Renegades’ management later acknowledged the situation and personally apologised to Rizwan for the handling of the moment.

Speaking after the match, Renegades skipper, Will Sutherland, admitted his regret over the decision. "The match was in a thrilling stage, emotions were high, and I am ashamed of my behavior. You are a quality player and well respected by fans," Sutherland said while addressing Rizwan.

Rizwan, who was visibly unhappy at the time, had expressed his disappointment over the management’s call. The Pakistani international scored 26 runs off 23 balls, an innings that included two boundaries (fours) and a six but also featured a prolonged nine-ball stretch without a run. His strike rate stood at 113, prompting concerns from the team dugout as pressure mounted.

At that moment, Sutherland gestured for Rizwan to leave the field and sent another batter to the crease, a rare and bold move in professional cricket that immediately sparked debate.

The incident drew heavy criticism on social media, with some users questioning Rizwan’s suitability for T20 cricket. However, opinions remained divided, as a former Australian cricketer on the commentary panel backed the Renegades captain, stating that the decision should have been taken even earlier given the match situation.

Despite the backlash, the Renegades’ apology appears to have eased tensions, with the team acknowledging Rizwan’s experience and stature in international cricket. The episode has reignited discussions around strike rates, pressure decisions and the fine balance between team strategy and player respect in modern T20 cricket.

Mohammad Rizwan has addressed the controversy surrounding his unusual recall during a BBL match, firmly rejecting reports that he plans to leave the tournament early. Speaking after the incident, Rizwan clarified that rumours about him abandoning his BBL contract and returning home are "baseless and false." He confirmed that he remains fully committed to the Melbourne Renegades and will continue to be available for selection under the terms of his contract.

Despite the backlash, Rizwan adopted a composed and respectful stance. "It is my responsibility to follow the captain’s decision," he said. "Our religion also teaches us obedience to our leader, and in cricket, the captain is the leader on the field. His decision must be accepted according to the match situation."

Rizwan revealed that both the captain and the head coach, Cameron White, approached him after the game, thanked him for his professionalism and apologised for how the situation was handled. Renegades skipper Will Sutherland later publicly expressed regret, admitting emotions ran high during the crucial stage of the match and praising Rizwan as a quality player respected by fans worldwide. For Rizwan, however, the matter appears settled. "I have no complaints," he said, signaling his focus remains on contributing to the Renegades’ campaign.

It could be said that Rizwan had the last laugh as the Renegades lost the match by 4 wickets.

So far, Rizwan has scored 170 runs in nine matches for the Renegades. He was recently left out of Pakistan's squad for the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka.

It's not just Rizwan who's stolen the headline. His compatriot, Hasan Ali, made a blunder that made it newsworthy.

Just a day after Mohammad Rizwan’s bizarre ‘retired out’ incident, Hasan added to Pakistan’s woes with a sloppy piece of fielding on Tuesday. The incident took place during the Melbourne Stars vs. Adelaide Strikers game, with the former chasing a modest target of 84. At the eighth over, they were 35-2.

Tabraiz Shamsi was bowling when the fifth ball was played toward the cover region. Hasan charged in to stop it before it crossed the boundary, but misjudged the attempt.

Despite his full effort, the ball slipped past Hasan and reached the boundary. The third umpire later confirmed it as a four. The moment went viral, with both Fox Sports and the Big Bash League sharing the clip on social media.

This incident came just a day after another awkward moment for Pakistan cricket. On Monday, Rizwan was retired out during the Big Bash League clash between Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades.

No one likes being humiliated. It's not a nice feeling to have gone through. The important part was that the action was understood and accepted. What makes this better is that the captain and coach both realised the error of their ways and apologised.

No player can have a perfect performance everytime. Mistakes can happen at any time. The important thing is to learn from it to avoid a repeat performance.

Meanwhile, while one league is nearing its end, another is supposed to start but isn't. The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has been suspended due to player boycotts.

This occured after players boycotted matches to press a set of demands, including the removal of a senior cricket board official. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director, Ifthekhar Mithu, confirmed the decision on Thursday evening after a day of disrupted fixtures.

The crisis was triggered by controversial remarks by BCB director and finance committee chairman M Najmul Islam. In response, players issued an ultimatum on Wednesday night demanding his removal.

When Najmul Islam was not removed within 24 hours, players refused to take the field for the afternoon match between Noakhali Express and Chattogram Royals, forcing its abandonment.

The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh, representing the players, then held a press conference in Banani outlining five core demands. CWAB president, Mohammad Mithun, joined by senior players including Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, set out the demands.

The demands include resolving a dispute in Dhaka first–class cricket, taking a clear position on sexual harassment allegations in women’s cricket, securing the resignation of Director M Najmul Islam and improving facilities for women cricketers.

"We are doing this helplessly, out of compulsion,” the CWAB president said. “We are not against playing. But everything has a limit. Everyone has been insulted by this. He (Najmul) has insulted every sector. He has no respect for cricket. We want to play, but only if our demands are met.”

Cricketer, Nurul Hasan Sohan, added, "Everyone is ready to play. No one is against playing, but only once the demands are met.”

Faced with the players’ firm stance, the BCB held a virtual meeting and stripped Najmul Islam of his duties on the finance committee and other roles. However, the players said he must also be removed as a BCB director. They maintained the boycott and both matches scheduled for the day were abandoned.

It is worth noting that Bangladesh cricketers had been threatening to boycott all forms of cricket, unless BCB director M Nazmul Islam tendered his resignation for making controversial remarks against legendary opener, Tamim Iqbal and against all Bangladeshi players. Even though the BCB has now decided to relieve Najmul Islam from his responsibilities as chairman of the Finance Committee with immediate effect, the unrest seems to have shown no signs of easing.

As reported by several Bangladeshi media outlets, including ViewsBangladesh on Thursday, the BPL 2025-26 season will likely face an indefinite suspension by the BCB if the players do not return to the field today, as quoted by a BCB director while speaking with the reporters.

Interestingly, the first match of the day, set to be the kick-off game of the Dhaka leg of the BPL 2025-26 season, was postponed to an undetermined date after neither team arrived at the Sher-e Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express players refusing to arrive at the stadium for their BPL 2025-26 encounter constitutes a part of a nationwide boycott by Bangladesh players on all forms of cricket.

The boycott stemmed from BCB director M Nazmul Islam’s controversial remarks against Tamim Iqbal and the nation’s cricketers. It is worth noting that Islam had called Tamim Iqbal an "Indian agent" for merely proposing peace talks between the BCB, the ICC and the BCCI amidst Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 boycott standoff against geo-political rivals India.

Moreover, after facing intense criticism from several Bangladeshi cricketers and experts for his remarks against Tamim, M Nazmul Islam further worsen the situation by saying that any form of T20 World Cup 2026 pull out by the Bangladesh players will only result in losses for the players, and not for the BCB.

Nazmul’s removal was reportedly carried out under the president’s powers, as outlined in Article 31 of the BCB constitution.

In the meantime, BCB President, Aminul Islam, will be serving the board as its Finance Committee chairman on an interim basis. The BCB will be expected to name Nazmul’s official replacement in due time.

As of BPL 2025-26, even the evening game between Rajshahi Warriors and Sylhet Titans has been postponed after players from both sides refused to enter the stadium. The fallout between the Bangladesh cricketers and the BCB official has also resulted in the postponement of four Dhaka Cricket League games on 15 January.

Cricketers have issued a stern warning that if the BPL is suspended amid the ongoing crisis, the BCB will bear full responsibility for any financial or professional losses.

The announcement came during a Thursday press conference at a Dhaka hotel, organised by the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB). CWAB reiterated that they will remain off the field until their demands are fully addressed.

CWAB officials said unilateral decisions or mismanagement by the BCB should not result in players shouldering any losses if the league is disrupted. "We want to play, but we will not take the field under pressure without assurance of respect and safety. If the BPL is halted, it will be considered the board’s decision, not the players’—and the board must cover all related compensation," a CWAB representative said.

Earlier, the BCB has warned that if players do not return to the field today, the BPL could be suspended indefinitely, while emphasising that players’ interests, dignity, and respect remain the board’s top priority. CWAB leaders stressed that negotiations, not threats, are the only path to resolution and warned that the protest would continue unless the board presents a clear roadmap to meet their demands.

I can't really blame the players for their actions. An authority figure has disgruntled them and they see no other way to send their concerns. I would also show my dissatisfaction at a lack of equality. I'd also be furious if I were to see/read that legendary player is being accused of playing a role in a supposed treasonal act. All they want is peace. There's nothing wrong with a bit of harmony among two countries.