Chattogram Challengers have managed to convince Mehidy Hasan to stay back and continue his participation in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
Mehidy Hasan was all set to return to Dhaka, citing ‘personal reasons’ a day after he was abruptly removed from captaincy. However, a lot of drama unfolded since then at the Hotel Peninsula, where Chattogram Challengers are staying during the Chattogram phase of the tournament.
![Chattogram Challengers Managed To Convince Mehidy Hasan To Play Bangladesh Premier League But He Won'T Captain Again 2 Mehidy Hasan has also clarified that he won't lead Chattogram Challengers again. © Getty](https://www.cricbuzz.com/a/img/v1/595x396/i1/c225767/mehidy-has-also-clarified-that.jpg)
Mehidy Hasan Changed Stance To Play For Chattogram Challengers Again But Won’t Captain The Franchise
Mehidy Hasan held two press conferences within four hours that saw him change his stance after team owner MD Dato KM Rifatuzzaman’s intervention. The allrounder had also let his frustration out in the media, stating that he is not willing to play for Chattogram Challengers anymore if the team’s chief operating officer Yasir Alam is around.
“I will say later (why I am not willing to play) and leaving. The mindset to play any game is not there right now,” Mehidy told reporters at the doorsteps of Peninsula, accusing the official of issuing a false statement.
“The statement given by Yasir [COO] is false (that head coach Paul Nixon has asked them to remove Mehidy as captain). He is the leading culprit and I am not willing to play if he is around.”
![Chattogram Challengers Managed To Convince Mehidy Hasan To Play Bangladesh Premier League But He Won'T Captain Again 3 Mehidy Hasan had marked his captaincy debut at Chattogram Challengers with a four-wicket haul Raton Gomes/BCB](https://img1.hscicdn.com/image/upload/f_auto/lsci/db/PICTURES/CMS/333500/333515.4.jpg)
However, Mehidy Hasan was soon approached by the Chattogram Challengers’ logistic manager and taken to a meeting which went past the allrounder’s departure time of 5:30 pm (local). Team owner Rifatuzzaman came down to the hotel lobby, following a lengthy discussion, along with Mehidy Hasan, where he revealed about the truce between the two parties.
“It was a miscommunication and we sorted it out,” Rifatuzzaman told reporters on Sunday. “I think we will be more careful in the coming days so that this kind of miscommunication does not arise again.”
“Our COO Yasir has apologized to him for the miscommunication. I think he should have communicated earlier that he will not be the captain instead of informing hours before the match,” he added.
Mehidy Hasan, the spin all-rounder, however, has further added that while he’s willing to continue playing, he won’t take up captaincy again.
“I will play for them but I am not ready to lead the side,” said Mehidy, sitting beside Rifatuzzaman.
Chattogram player Mehidy Hasan stated that he was devastated after being informed that he is no longer the captain just three hours before their match against Sylhet Sunrisers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
Paul Nixon Denies Role In Axing Of Mehidy Hasan As The Team’s Skipper
Meanwhile, in a conversation, Chattogram Challengers head coach Paul Nixon has denied his role in the axing of Mehidy Hasan as the team’s captain. Quite a few eyebrows were raised when Naeem Islam walked out for toss in their match against Sylhet Sunrisers on January 29 given that the team had won two of their three games under Mehidy. Meanwhile, Rifatuzzaman also cleared the air regarding the removal of Mehidy Hasan as captain.
“Nixon is part of team management but he is not the only one to decide. Our whole team management decided that Mehidy should concentrate more on his game as that would serve our purpose and I agreed but I don’t impose anything on the team management. I was aware that Mehidy will be removed and we should have informed him that beforehand as that would have helped us avoid all this trouble.”
![Chattogram Challengers Managed To Convince Mehidy Hasan To Play Bangladesh Premier League But He Won'T Captain Again 4 Chattogram Challengers](https://www.10cric.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chattogram-Challengers-1-640x356.jpg)