The Bangladesh Cricket Board hit back at 13 'rebel' players for joining the 'unofficial' Indian Cricket League by banning them for 10 years.
"The Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to ban for 10 years any player, official, or technical staff, who participates in events not authorised by it or the ICC," a BCB spokesperson said.
"The BCB has also barred them all from its domestic and international games and will not allow them access to any of its facilities. These decisions were taken at an emergency meeting today [Wednesday] and are line with the ICC's policy on unauthorised cricket," he said.
"The decision will be equally effective for contracted players or coaches if they participate in any cricket event having no approval of the ICC or the BCB," BCB president Major-General Sina Ibn Jamali told reporters on Wednesday.
The BCB convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the resignations of seven contracted players.
Bangladesh cricket was rocked as six contracted players tendered early resignations to join the rebel Indian league, where they would form the ICL's ninth city-based team, Dhaka Warriors, in the Twenty20 tournament, starting October 10.
Former Bangladesh captain Habib-ul Bashar, who led the exodus, will lead Dhaka Warriors, which will also include Shahriar Nafis, Dhiman Ghosh, Aftab Ahmed, Farhad Reza, Manjural Islam, Mabud Chowdhury, Mahboob-ul Karim, Mohammad Rafique, Mohammad Sharif, Mosharraf Hossain and Tapash Baisya.
"We have written to the board that we are quitting. But if the board says we can still play for the country we are happy to do that," Bashar said reporters in Delhi.
In a last-ditch attempt to thwart the exodus, BCB invited the rebels to a meeting on Tuesday but none of the disgruntled players turned up.
The top Bangladesh players were reportedly offered US $2,00,000. The cricketers though insist they did not join the ICL for money.
