ICC President Mustafa Kamal was conspicuous by his absence at the presentation ceremony of the World Cup Final between Australia and New Zealand. Instead, ICC chairman N Srinivasan presented the trophy to Michael Clarke. According to the constitution of the ICC, the president has to give away the trophy.
“I was supposed to give the trophy,” Kamal said. “It is my constitutional right. But very unfortunately, I was not allowed to do so. My rights were dishonoured and snatched away.”
Kamal has now said, he is contemplating legal proceedings against the ICC for denying him his ‘constitutional’ right to present the trophy. “I shall go back to Bangladesh, consult with my lawyers and have a word with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about this. What was done at Melbourne on Sunday unconstitutional and could not be accepted,” Kamal said.
“Hasina had supported Kamal in his outburst against the umpiring decisions in the India-Bangladesh match. According to media reports, Srinivasan had isolated Kamal during the ICC Saturday meeting and ensured that he, and not Kamal, would present the 2015 World Cup to the winners.
That is a break with the tradition followed since 1999.
The whole controversy is said to have come about after Kamal passed lawful remarks about the umpiring during the quarterfinal between India and Bangladesh. Kamal had been critical of the umpiring and although he claimed his comments were from personal, and not as ICC President, the damage was done.
