Dhaka: The crisis in Bangladesh cricket has taken a serious turn as Mohammad Mithun, President of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), said he is receiving severe threats involving physical harm against 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. One specific threat issued a chilling warning, he said, that said ‘after today, no cricketer will be able to walk safely on Bangladesh soil’. Mithun noted that the volume of these threats escalated significantly after 9:00 PM on Thursday.

According to United News of Bangladesh, Mithun expressed confusion over the threats, stating, ‘We haven’t spoken against the country, so I don’t understand why these threats are coming. As cricketers, we spoke about our rights; is that a crime?’ Mithun, who is captaining the Dhaka Capitals in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), mentioned that he has not yet taken formal legal action regarding the threats but is considering doing so. These threats target Mithun as he leads the players’ negotiation 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, on Thursday night, they agreed to continue playing in the BPL from Friday.