Kapali reiterates Ashraful initiated ICL switch

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful has repeatedly been singled out for instigating the mass revolt in their team and a dozen Bangladesh players joining the ICL. Now, former allrounder Alok Kapali has confirmed the murmurs. Kapali told The Indian Express that it was indeed the Bangladesh skipper who initiated and encouraged him and the other players to join the ‘rebel’ league.

“Mohammad Ashraful was very keen to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and seeing his interest, I 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 I and the others joined ICL but I was shocked when Ashraful and Mortaza did not join ICL,” Kapali said, adding, “What shocks me more is that he has been lying to people and telling them he had nothing to do with the ICL.”

Kapali is among the 12 Bangladeshi players who will turn out for Dhaka Warriors beginning October 10. The players are now facing a 10-year ban by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. “I don’t regret joining ICL. I hope, though, that in the near future everything is sorted out and better sense prevails in the BCB, just like in Sri Lanka,” Kapali said.

Kapali was considered one of the most talented allrounders in Bangladesh. In the Asia Cup in June, Kapali slammed a century against India but when his contract wasn’t renewed, he could sense things were not right. “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 and maintained there was enough bench strength,” he recalls.