Bangladesh Cricketers Not Playing in Asian Legends League, Return Home Amidst Criticism from Coach Herschelle Gibbs

Bangladeshi cricketers are not playing any matches in the Asian Legends League. Due to the lack of approval from the BCCI, ICC, and the absence of a no-objection certificate from the BCB, Mohammad Ashraful's team is returning to Bangladesh without playing any matches.

Former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs, who was appointed as the head coach of Bangladesh Tigers for the Asian Legends League, has harshly criticized the team. He expressed his frustration on X (formerly Twitter) before the match between Bangladesh Tigers and Indian Royals, calling the situation "uncivilized humor."

Gibbs wrote on his verified X account: "I was appointed as the coach of the Bangladesh team and have not heard anything from the team since. I'm still waiting for travel plans!! F... joke."

He further stated, "The league is starting today, and I was supposed to fly out on Saturday... If they show you a ghost, there's no point in going."

The tournament for retired national cricketers began in Rajasthan, India, on Monday. However, before the first match, the Bangladesh Tigers decided to return home. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had warned Ashraful and his team not to participate in the tournament.

As a result, the Bangladesh Tigers players are returning to Bangladesh from India today without playing any matches. Tamim Iqbal, who recently retired from international cricket, was also supposed to play for the team. Although he had signed a contract to play for Asian Stars, Shakib Al Hasan ultimately did not travel to India for the tournament.