Bangladesh ban players' columns after Shakib row

Controversies continue to dog the embattled Bangladesh cricket team this World Cup with the country's Board now ordering players to stop writing newspaper columns during the mega-event.

The team, which slipped to its lowest one-day total of 58 against the West Indies in a Group B match on Friday, has been heavily criticised by former players for its poor performance so far.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board's decision to ban players' newspaper columns comes a day after skipper Shakib Al Hasan hit back at the former players for criticising the team, in a local Bengali daily.

"Yes, we have asked the team management to stop players from writing columns and let them concentrate on game," Manzur Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the BCB, told New Age newspaper.

"We are preparing a media guideline for the players and will see if they can write after the World Cup," he added.

Shakib had said that former players should be more understanding of what the team is going through and not act like common fans.

"I feel really bad when I see the former cricketers talk like common fans," Shakib had written.

"They understand a lot, have played a lot and went through this kind of situation a lot of times. It is really disappointing. I don't like to demean anyone. But you can see in the record books who did what," he added.

Former Bangladesh captain Roquibul Hassan said Shakib's comments "show a great audacity and a great insult to senior players."

"He doesn't know the history of Bangladesh cricket and that is the saddest part."

Bangladesh have a win (against Ireland) and two losses (against India and the West Indies) so far in the World Cup and the co-hosts have to win against England in Chittagong on Friday to keep their hopes of making the quarterfinals alive.

The team was at the receiving end of fans' anger after the humiliation against the West Indies. Irate fans had thrown stones at Shakib's home besides targetting both the Bangladesh and the West Indies team buses.