Ramiz Raja in BPL - (Source: X.Com)
Former Pakistan cricketer turned presenter, Ramiz Raja, was at the centre of an embarrassing situation in BPL a few days ago. The 63-year-old, who has made a name for himself as a match presenter, tried to whisper some energy in the crowd during the toss in Dhaka, but faced humiliation after he saw no response.
Notably, Raja tried to emulate Ravi Shastri, who is famous for his animated toss presentation and gimmicks. Similarly, Raja tried to uplift the energy of the stadium and asked the fans to 'make some noise' before the start of the match.
However, there was no response, and Raja quickly added, "They don't want to make some noise". The incident quickly spread like fire on the internet and the fans made memes out of the incident.
Bangladesh cricket and BPL surrounded by controversies
The Bangladesh cricket is at an all time low and surrounded by controveries. The BCB is busy fighting with ICC to shift their T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India citing security reasons while the Jay Shah-led council has paid no heed to the demand.
The fight is escalating each day and the ICC has rejected Bangladesh's every demand from swapping group with Ireland and their attempt to join hands with Pakistan to put pressure at well.
On the other hand, Bangladesh Premier League is also in turmoil because the players boycotted the league after chairman of the board's Finance Committee, Najmul Islam's comments on Tamim Iqbal.
What happened with Tamim Iqbal and why it led to Islam's sacking?
Notably, following Mustafizur Rahman's ouster from IPL, the BCB decided to pull out their T20 World Cup 2026 games from India. However, Tamim Iqbal advised the board to not be driven by emotions.
Therefore, Najmul Islam had termed Iqbal as 'Indian agent', which didn't go well with Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh. The players, in response, decided to protest and boycott the Bangladesh Premier League matches until Najmul Islam is sacked from his role.
Eventually, the BPL was suspended for a day and the BCB quickly sacked Najmul Islam from his post. Therefore the BPL got back on track. However, the president is now recieving death threat for his work.
“It's true, and I've never had an experience like this. It's the first time in my life. I don't remember ever being involved in controversial talk. It's going over my head – when have I ever spoken against the country?” he said.
What is the current situation in BPL?
At the time of writing, the current edition of Bangladesh Premier League is nearing its business end. Rajashashi Warriors, Chattogram Royals, Sylhet Tigers, and Rangpur Riders have qualified for the next round.
Rangpur and Sylhet will lock horns in the eliminator one on January 20 at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. Further, Rajshahi and Chattogram will square off at the same venue later on in the day.
