Top 27 cricketers of Bangladesh have expended their hand to help fight against deadly coronavirus. Under the initiative by Tamim Iqbal, cricketers opted to donate 50 percent of their salary for one month to the government, report agencies.
All of 17 players who are in the central contact will donate 50 percent of their salary, and other 10 players, who were part of the national team during the last three years, will also join them.
As per BCB's contract policy, when a cricketer represents Bangladesh from outside the central contract, he gets a salary of his grade as long as he plays for the Tigers.
It means Tamim will donate Tk 325,000 as a contracted member of the national team while Nasum Ahmed will donate 50,000 as he was part of Bangladesh team during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Tamim told the media on Wednesday that they took this initiative to help the people survive this deadly virus.
“It’s possible to win this battle against coronavirus if every one of us helps each other as per our ability. We’re yet to decide where we’ll spend this money. After amassing all the money, we’ll decide further steps,” he said.
Earlier, all cricketing events in Bangladesh were postponed indefinitely. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had started Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, but after a round, the league was postponed. Before that, a two-match T20I series between Asia XI and World XI has also been postponed, which was scheduled to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is in self-isolation in the USA, hailed doctors, nurses and medical staff who have been working day and night to save the lives of those infected with the deadly coronavirus around the globe.
Shakib is out of action since October last after he was banned by the International Cricket Council for two years with one of those being suspended for failing to report several corrupt approaches to the appropriate authorities.
“I want to salute all the doctors, nurses, medical staff who are working hard to save the lives of our people. I want to thank the members of Bangladesh police, army and other civil authorities who are also working relentlessly to save lives all over the country,” Shakib told in a video message posted on his social media platforms.
“Now, we also should help them back staying at home, obeying health advice and being careful. And, I hope it’ll result in a good way. May Allah help us all,” Shakib added. Former skipper Mashrafe Mortaza on Monday urged the country’s young generation to stay home to be safe amid the outbreak of deadly coronavirus infection.
He made the call in a Facebook post made on Monday. "Ekhon Joubon Jar, Bashai Thakar Tar Sreshtho Somoy Tar (This is the best time for the young men to stay at their homes," he wrote in the post. Mashrafe picked the theme from a famous poem written by Helal Hafiz.
Earlier, Bangladeshi world famed all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, now in self-isolation in the USA, Bangladesh’ s newly-appointed ODI captain Tamim Iqbal and star cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim also alerted people about the coronavirus threat. With the post, Mashrafe first tried to make his fans in Bangladesh aware of the situation of the world via his Facebook profile.
