Bangladesh ex-captain Aminul new cricket board chief

DHAKA: Bangladesh´s first Test centurion Aminul Islam has been named president of the cricket board after Faruque Ahmed was ousted.

“This is a new high for me,” Aminul, who captained Bangladesh in their first World Cup appearance in 1999 and is better known as “Bulbul”, told reporters.

Since his retirement from playing, the 57-year-old has worked in development for the International Cricket Council and Asian Cricket Council.

Cricket and politics go hand-in-hand in Bangladesh and the sport has been hit by the turmoil that has wracked the country.

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024, fleeing by helicopter as crowds stormed her palace.

Faruque took up the post as Bangladesh Cricket Board president after the resignation of Nazmul Hassan, a close ally of Hasina.

BCB directors selected Aminul on Friday and he will serve as president until October. Bangladesh suffered an embarrassing T20 series defeat to the United Arab Emirates in May.