Bangladesh batter Mohammad Mithun appointed as president of CWAB

Bangladesh batter Mohammad Mithun has been elected as the new president of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), the body that represents the country’s professional cricketers. The election, held on Thursday, saw Mithun secure a victory over his opponent.

For nearly a decade, CWAB was under the leadership of former Bangladesh captain Naimur Rahman and Debabrata Pal, who assumed the duties after an unofficial annual general meeting in 2014. However, with the fall of the previous government and Naimur Rahman’s subsequent disappearance from public life due to legal troubles, the association was in trouble. To restore order, an ad hoc 13-member committee led by Selim Shahed was formed earlier this year to hold fresh elections. The vote became a turning point, as current players took the lead in changing the association’s future.

The presidential contest was the main point of the election, with Mithun facing off against former cricketer and current match referee Selim Shahed. Out of 215 eligible voters, 190 cast their ballots at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, with Mithun securing a victory by 154 votes to 34.

Two ballots were declared invalid, making his victory margin of 120 votes reflect the strong confidence players placed in his leadership. Following his win, Mithun emphasized the need for peace between CWAB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

“I have to look after the interest of the cricketers as I am representing them. CWAB and BCB is like a family and there shouldn’t be any gap there as BCB is like our guardian and we can always raise our demand to our guardian,” Mithun said after being elected as CWAB president as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The other positions in the 11-member executive committee were filled unopposed

While the presidential post was closely contested, the rest of the positions in the 11-member executive committee were filled unopposed. Former opener Shahriar Hossain Bidyut became the senior vice-president, and current Bangladesh wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan Sohan was named vice-president. National stars such as Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Akbar Ali, Rumana Ahmed, Shamsur Rahman Shuvo, Irfan Sukkur, Khaled Mashud Pilot, and Imrul Kayes were also elected as executive members.

The election process itself was a momentous occasion, drawing participation from past and present players, including senior names like Tamim Iqbal, who, despite stepping back from a leadership role due to a conflict of interest, was present during the proceedings.