in Melbourne on Sunday. (AFP)
Calcutta, April 1: Bangladesh's minister for planning A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal today resigned as president of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Kamal, who returned a call from The Telegraph around 5.30pm, said that his country had been humiliated by the highhandedness of "one man" and it wasn't any more a matter of his self-respect only.
"I'm sorry I couldn't respond earlier.... As you can understand, I've hardly had a moment to myself right through this afternoon," Kamal told this reporter.
For the next 20 minutes or so, Kamal took questions.
Excerpts follow:
Q: Would it not have been better for you to stay put and take on Srinivasan from within the ICC?
Kamal: No.
Q: Why not?
Kamal: Because every citizen of Bangladesh wanted me to quit. My country was humiliated and, so, it was no longer an issue of my self-respect only. I had to respect the national sentiment as I became the ICC president as Bangladesh's nominee.
Q: Who have you addressed your resignation to?
Kamal: The CEO (David Richardson).... I couldn't have continued when the ICC is least concerned about respecting its own constitution. I don't wish to keep on talking about the presentation of the World Cup, but the fact is that I was denied in absolute violation of the constitution.
Q: Your feelings at this point in time?
Kamal: Now, my lips aren't sealed, nor are my hands tied. I'm no longer the president of the ICC and, so, have the freedom, if necessary, to expose people and happenings.
Q: What did you tell the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, when you spoke to her from Melbourne?
Kamal: That I wanted to resign.
Q: Well, what did the Prime Minister say?
Kamal: That I should do so on returning to Bangladesh, not while I was in Australia. That's what I did this afternoon.
Q: Did you speak to the Prime Minister on landing in Dhaka?
Kamal: Dada, please leave the Prime Minister out of this. It's bad enough that she's been made to talk about the presentation controversy just about every day. The Prime Minister has (more) important things to attend to.
(On Tuesday, Sheikh Hasina used strong words at a meeting of the executive committee of the National Economic Council. She described the treatment meted out to Kamal as "unacceptable in a civilised world" and that no questions would have been asked had, say, Australia's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, given away the World Cup in place of the controversial Srinivasan.)
Q: But won't you brief the Prime Minister?
Kamal: Nischoyi dekha korbo (Of course, I'll meet her). I'll be guided by her and the foreign minister (Abu Hassan Mahmood Ali).
Q: Could there be bilateral repercussions?
Kamal: Let's see if the Indian government has something to say. You can run a check, there's outrage over what that man did. Not only to me, but 160 million Bangladeshis. Our pride has been hit.
Wednesday. (AFP)
Q: You haven't mentioned Srinivasan by name, but you've reserved harsh words for him....
Kamal: I don't have to take his name, everybody knows who I'm referring to.... I'm referring to somebody whose integrity is questionable. I'd go to the extent of saying he's actually of unsound mind. Anybody in his senses wouldn't trample on the constitution of the organisation of which he's the chairman. How can the game progress if he's going to call the shots? That man must go.... The ICC has to reflect the hopes and aspirations of all its members, not those of the Gang of Three alone.
Q: India, England and Australia?
Kamal: Definitely. Aapni toh janen (You know it).
Q: Srinivasan asked you for an explanation on the eve of the World Cup final, didn't he?
Kamal: I was first asked to apologise for my comments after the India-Bangladesh quarter final. I refused to do so.
I was then asked to give a statement (which would be circulated). I said I can't sign something on behalf of 160 million Bangladeshis without consulting people. Thereafter, I was told that I wouldn't, in the circumstances, present the World Cup to the winning captain. I objected, but nobody listened.
Q: You were humiliated at an "informal" board meeting of the ICC. Is there provision for such informal meetings?
Kamal: No. You have to give notice, circulate the agenda.... Protocol is involved. I was myself given less than an hour's notice, despite being the ICC president.
Q: Some have viewed your comments on the umpiring in that quarter final as anti-India. What's your response?
Kamal: That's totally incorrect. Hasn't the world seen the no-ball which saved Rohit Sharma, the eventual MoM that day? I criticised the umpiring, stressing that I was doing so in my individual capacity. I understand that I couldn't talk as the ICC president, but am I also not an individual with my rights and freedom?
Q: You want that "man" to go from the ICC, but he's very well entrenched. On record, nobody says a word against him. So, how will your resignation change things?
Kamal: I'm aware that the member countries don't open their mouth. That's because most depend on the ICC, specifically India, to bail them out.... There are issues in the West Indies, in Zimbabwe, in Sri Lanka.... Possibly in New Zealand as well. Nobody wants to be blacklisted in any manner.
Q: Who'll take your place as the president?
Kamal: If the rules are followed, then the new nominee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. It could be their president, Najmul Hassan. I have around three months of my term left.
Q: Any plans of coming to Calcutta and meeting Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India?
Kamal: It's possible. If the Bangladesh government wishes that I convey something to the Indian board, I'll do so. Why not?
Q: The final one.... Did you stay on at the MCG to hear Srinivasan being booed?
Kamal: I left just when the presentation ceremony was to begin, but my nephew was there... my secretary, too.... The world heard the boos and the world saw how Sachin Tendulkar's presence saved that man from further embarrassment. The booing should serve as an eye-opener. What happened at the MCG is part of history, very well documented.