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Kapali spills the beans

Blames Ashraful, Mashrafe for ICL exodus

Pallab Bhattacharya, New Delhi
Adding fuel to the ICL contrdversy, all-rounder Alok Kapali has alleged that it was national team captain Mohammed Ashraful who provoked his teammates to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Kapali also accused Ashraful of "lying" to the people that the latter had nothing to do with ICL.
"Ashraful was very keen to join the ICL and seeing his interest, 1 thought if the national skipper could resign from international cricket why couldn't I? Even Mashrafe Mortaza asked me to join
and as a result we joined the ICL. But I was shocked when Ashraful and Monaza did not join the ICL", Kapali was quoted yesterday by "Indian Express" newspaper.
"What shocks me more is that he has been lying to people and telling them that he had nothing to do with ICL", said Kapali while talking in Chandigarh.
Dhaka Warriors, the team from Bangladesh, will play in the ICL starting on October 10.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has slapped a ten-year ban on its cricketers who joined the ICL FROM PAGE 16
Kapali, however, does not regret joining the ICL.
"I don't regret joining the ICL. I hope, though, that in the near future everything is sorted out and better sense prevails in Bangladesh Cricket Board, just like in Sri Lanka"
The Sri Lanka Cricket board has allowed its ICL players to participate in domestic cricket.
The daily quoted the allrounder as saying, "I remember talking to chief selector Rafiqul Alam in Australia regarding the ICL offer. I was stunned by his casual attitude - he simply asked me to go on with the offer."
Both Ashraful and Mashrafe have already denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, in an interview to "The Times of India" newspaper published yesterday, suggested it was the lack of importance and respect shown to him
which forced him to join the ICL.
"Towards the end of international career, 1 became a lonely figure. I didn't command the same respect from the guys. I would sit alone in the dressing room. During critical situations, nobody would come to me for any suggestion, though I was the senior most guy. A feeling crept in that you were no longer required", Bashar said.
Asked why he did not speak to Ashraful about his feelings, Bashar replied, "Does it look good to go and speak to somebody who is much junior to me? More than Ashraful, it is coach Jamie Siddons whose behaviour amazed me. I have never said a single word against him in the media and this man is not leaving a single opportunity to take a dig at somebody who has played 99 per cent of Bangladesh's Test matches".
"I'm not a rebel. I'm an emotional person. Heart will always rule my head as it is the case with most Bengalis", said Bashar.
Referring to the ban imposed by BCB, he said, "I know they are heavily dependent on Indian sponsors and BCC1.1 can't blame them for their stand".
Bashar said after being dropped from the national team for the home series against South Africa, he joined the ICL and he was committed to the latter in the next three years before he calls it a day.
Bashar was critical of the induction of five or six junior players at international level at the same time terming it "foolish" and said "the result is there for all to see".
He said, "Everything was fine till the World Cup in the West Indies. The trouble started after the India series following the World Cup. Suddenly, the BCB and the team management went for a complete overhaul. Myself. Javed Omar, Mohammed Rafique and Khaled Mashud were put under the scanner for every bad performance."
Bashar feels his joining the ICL will be an eye-opener for the BCB.