Calcutta: Angry after he was denied the honour of handing over the World Cup winners' trophy, AHM Mustafa Kamal resigned as ICC president on Wednesday to protest what he called a constitutional violation by the governing body.
In a media statement made on his arrival at Shahajalal International Airport, in Dhaka, Kamal, also the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chairman, officially informed of his resignation from the ICC post and launched a scathing attack on Narayanswami Srinivasan, the ICC chairman.
The ICC, on its part, issued a media release confirming that Kamal has tendered his resignation with immediate effect. Kamal was the first ICC president after last year's restructuring and still had three months left of his one-year term.
According to the ICC, in his resignation letter to the apex body's chief executive, Dave Richardson, Kamal said that he was stepping down on personal grounds and offered his apologies to all associated with the ICC, while adding that he had no complaints to make against anyone.
The ICC media release further quoted him as saying: "Let the game of cricket under the leadership of ICC touch the hearts and minds of every cricket lover."
But Kamal's media statement was not so mild-worded. Addressed to the Bangladeshi people, the cricket lovers, the players, organisers and patrons, the statement reflects Kamal's anger at Srinivasan and questions the former BCCI president's "personal integrity".
"As you have heard, a few moments earlier I stepped down as the president of the ICC. This I have done as I find it is extremely difficult to work with a man whose personal integrity is questionable everywhere," Kamal said, clearly criticising Srinivasan though not taking his name.
Kamal also claimed that the act of not allowing him to present the World Cup to the victorious Australian team, in Melbourne, was "unlawful and unconstitutional".
"Further on the 29th of this month, in an unlawful and unconstitutional manner he has handed over the trophy of the ICC 2015 World Cup. As per the constitution of ICC, it is only the president, none else, can present trophies in ICC's world events."
"I have stepped down so that the whole world can unearth the truth why I have resigned, let the whole World know as to how for the first time in the history of ICC its constitution could be violated?," Kamal added.
While he has tore into Srinivasan, interestingly Kamal has heaped praise and expressed gratitude to current BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sharad Pawar, who is the unofficial leader of the anti-Srini camp.
"My special thanks to India, particularly the ex-president of ICC and the current president of the BCCI Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya for his all out support to Bangladesh cricket in our initial stage... I am also grateful to ex-president of ICC Mr Sharad Pawar."
Kamal also thanked Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "Finally, my respect and appreciation is due to the Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is a very ardent lover of cricket."
Kamal was peeved at not being given the opportunity to hand out the World Cup trophy to Australia captain Michael Clarke as Srinivasan himself did it. Kamal was denied the honours after he blamed poor umpiring for Bangladesh's comprehensive loss to India in the quarter finals. The ICC was forced to issue a statement to reject his charges.
