Kamal quits as ICC president.

Bangladesh’s AHM Mustafa Kamal resigned as president of the International Cricket Council on Wednesday having fallen ‘victim to unconstitutional strong-arming by the ICC high-ups’ during the just concluded World Cup. The decision, which appeared imminent, ended the near two-week long speculation regarding his position at the world cricket’s governing body, which started to get worse since his incendiary claim of ‘biased umpiring’ after the quarter-final match between Bangladesh and India. As a result, Kamal was denied the right of giving away the winners’ trophy to the Australian team after the World Cup final, as ICC officials decided to replace him with current chairman, Indian Narayanaswami Srinivasan. ‘I resign right at this moment,’ Kamal told reporters in the middle of a written statement upon his arrival from Singapore at the Hajrat Shahjalal International Airport on Wednesday. ‘I am no longer the ICC president.’ ‘The main reason for my resignation is that I can’t work with those who act unconstitutionally and unlawfully’, said Kamal.

ICC confirmed his resignation in the evening. Kamal, also the planning minister, announced his resignation after relaying the recent series of incidents in Australia during the World Cup that ‘went against’ the constitution of the body. After Kamal’s comments regarding the umpiring in the quarter-final, a meeting was held between Kamal and a few ICC members where he was asked to apologise for saying his country’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to India was ‘pre-arranged’. Kamal refused to offer the apology saying that it was the sentiment of 160 million people of the country and termed the unscheduled meeting a ‘baseless’ one. ‘I am a human being and a president,’ said Kamal. ‘I always said that cricket should be played in the right manner and everyone should get justice.’ ‘When I went to watch the quarter-final, I saw there was no spider cam, which is not a usual thing at all at the MCG, especially on such an occasion.’ ‘If it was played between some other countries I would have had the same observation, as I believe cricket is a game where there are certain laws that should be followed by everyone.’ ‘I spoke in favour of Bangladesh and they inquired why I did so‘. ‘To me, my country is ahead of everything,’ he said. Kamal also questioned the legality of the so-called ICC meeting and responded harshly when he was asked to submit the apology. ‘But when they asked for the apology I replied, whom should I apologise to, to my employees? 

At that point they (the present ICC members) said that in that case, you are not distributing the prize in the final.’ ‘Then I told them it’s totally unconstitutional and please don’t kill cricket,’ he said. According to clause 3.3 (B): ‘With effect from the 2014 Conference Close Date, the president shall act solely as chairman at Conference and Special Meetings and be responsible for presenting trophies at global competitions and cricket events held under the aegis of the Council. For the avoidance of doubt, with effect from the 2014 Conference Close Date, the president will no longer act as chairman of the Executive Board or as chairman of any Committee or Sub-Committee.’ Kamal thanked India, Pakistan as well as all the other ICC affiliate and associate countries for their support but then  launched an extraordinary attack on the Indian national (N Srinivasan), calling him ‘rotten’ and ‘controversial’ and suggesting the ICC should stand for ‘Indian Cricket Council’. ‘I feel bad even mentioning his name,’ he said. ‘If that man is in charge of cricket, how can cricket run properly?’ ‘This resignation is to make a pathway for the future’, Kamal added.

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