Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director and popular singer Asif Akbar has sharply criticised the behaviour of footballers during a recent event. Speaking at the Bangladesh Cricket Conference held at a five-star hotel in Dhaka on Sunday, Asif made a series of strong allegations against football players.
According to him, “Cricket matches across the country are being disrupted because of footballers. They damage wickets, occupy grounds, and even take over stadiums where football has no place at all.”
Asif added, “The behaviour of footballers is very poor. I’ll say it plainly — cricket is a gentleman’s game with rules and discipline. But in football, when the ball touches someone, they lie and claim it’s their throw. The problem begins with dishonesty.”
Addressing the BCB President, he went on to say, “I would urge our board president to sit down with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) as soon as possible. We don’t want conflict, but if needed, we’re ready for it — because our boys and girls must be allowed to play. No one has the right to take that away.”
In response, former footballer and BFF member Golam Gaus expressed his disapproval of Asif’s remarks. “Asif isn’t even from the sports community,” he said. “What he’s said doesn’t affect football in any way, but one must ask — did he really maintain decency in his speech?”