DHAKA — Mustafa Kamal resigned as president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Wednesday, saying he had been prevented from presenting the World Cup trophy after claiming one of the matches was fixed. Kamal, a Bangladeshi national, told reporters he had been ordered to apologize for the incendiary claim that his country's World Cup quarterfinal defeat to India was “pre-arranged.” He said after the match last month that there was “no quality in the umpiring,” casting a shadow over an otherwise successful tournament and earning a sharp rebuke from ICC chief executive David Richardson. He later complained that he had been deprived of his “right” as ICC president to present the trophy to the winners, Australia. Instead that honor went to India's Narayanaswami Srinivasan, who took over as ICC chairman last year and who was booed at the ceremony. “I resign right at this moment. I am no longer ICC president,” Kamal told reporters at the airport in Dhaka, where he arrived from Singapore Wednesday. “The main reason for my resignation is that I can't work with those who can act unconstitutionally and unlawfully.” Kamal has been quoted in the local media saying “people with ugly mindset” had no business running the ICC. ‘These type of people should be away from cricket, otherwise cricket will be spoiled, cricket will not move forward. Kamal's position has been largely ceremonial since Srinivasan took office as ICC chairman last year. On Wednesday, Kamal launched an extraordinary attack on the Indian national, calling him “rotten” and “controversial” and suggesting the ICC could stand for “Indian Cricket Council.” “I feel bad even to mention his name,” he said. “If that man is in charge of cricket, how will cricket run?“ Kamal, who is a government minister in Bangladesh, had earlier threatened to quit over the umpiring of the quarter final. He said he had been told he would only be allowed to present the trophy if we withdrew his claim of bias. “I will not withdraw the statement because it was the sentiment of 160 million people,” he said, referring to the population of Bangladesh. “Then they told me, if you can't submit an apology or withdraw the statement, you can't present the trophy,” Kamal said. Last month's match was the first time Bangladesh had reached the World Cup quarterfinals and emotions in the cricket-mad country ran high after their 109-run defeat by India. Fans openly wept and an effigy of umpire Aleem Dar, who is from rival nation Pakistan, was burnt in the street. Kamal said he had told ICC bosses it would be “unconstitutional” to allow anyone else to hand over the trophy. “In that match, I had the right to give the trophy to the champions,” he said. “Only the ICC president has the right to present the trophy in ICC world events.” — Agencies
