Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club has lodged a complaint against Legends of Rupganj player Sabbir Rahman for racially abusing and throwing stones at their player Elias Sunny. The alleged incident took place during the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) T20 match between Dhanmondi and Old DOHS Sports Club at the BKSP 3 ground in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Rahman, who had a match lined up against Partex Sporting Club starting later in the day at the BKSP 4 ground, allegedly abused Sunny, who was on the field, and threw stones at him shortly after arriving at the sporting complex.
Play was stopped for a few minutes when Sunny, fielding at the time, informed the on-field umpires Habibur Rahman and Mozahiduzzaman about the incident. After the match, Dhanmondi wrote a letter to the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) - the BCB committee that oversees club cricket in Dhaka - requesting disciplinary action.
"[Sabbir Rahman] used abusive and racially discriminate language against Sunny. As a professional cricketer, such behaviour is not only indecent but also a punishable offense," the letter said. "In this case, you are specially requested to take disciplinary action against Sabbir Rahman."
Sunny said that Rahman's behaviour was not an isolated one. He said it had started earlier in the week when Dhanmondi played Rupganj.
"Sabbir started abusing me when I was batting against Rupganj on June 13," Sunny told ESPNcricinfo. "I asked him thrice whether he himself understood what he was saying, but he kept repeating it. I got angry, after which the umpires had to separate us. But he kept calling me kalo (referring to his skin colour) repeatedly from the outfield. We won the match so I didn't react too much.
"During today's match, when we were fielding, Rupganj's bus had arrived near the BKSP 3 ground. He started teasing me with the same kalo, kalo. I didn't react at first. But shortly afterwards, he threw a stone at me. I maintained the protocol by telling the umpires. Play was stopped for a while. I also spoke to the match referee."
Speaking to the Daily Star, Rahman denied that he had used a racial slur, adding, "There is no question of throwing a stone. Is it easy to throw stones? Why would I do something like that? He is my senior."
The CCDM, which will hold a hearing on the incident, has to investigate the matter since Rahman was technically an outsider or bystander during the Dhanmondi-Old DOHS game. If the match officials of the Dhanmondi game also report Rahman, it would be used as evidence against him.
Rahman has a long record of disciplinary breaches. He received a six-month ban for abusing a fan on social media (that was later reduced by one month) in 2018. It came a few months after his central contract was revoked after he physically assaulted a fan during a first-class match in late 2017. During the 2016 BPL, the BCB fined him 30% of his BPL contract for "serious off-field disciplinary breaches".
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
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