After failing to receive his full payment as a mentor for Chittagong Kings, Shahid Afridi has confirmed that he will address the issue with the Presidents of both countries if needed.
Afridi, who was appointed as the brand ambassador and mentor for Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), has only received a fraction of his agreed payment. Despite his repeated attempts to contact team owner Samir Kader Chowdhury, Afridi has had no response. This led him to escalate the issue to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, Faruk Ahmed, via email. If that fails to resolve the situation, Afridi has stated he will contact the heads of both countries.
The BPL season has been overshadowed by discussions about unpaid wages, with players from various teams still awaiting their payments. Afridi’s situation has added fuel to the fire.
Chittagong Kings made a big deal out of bringing Afridi onboard as their mentor, and he was the biggest foreign star in the tournament. However, during the competition, rumors about his payment issues started circulating. The Chittagong Kings’ management had previously stated that they would resolve the matter, but Afridi confirmed to bdnews24.com on Sunday that he has not received any response from Samir Kader Chowdhury.
Afridi shared his frustrations, saying, “I had a contract worth $100,000. The agreement was that I would receive $50,000 upon arrival in Bangladesh, and the remaining $50,000 would be paid during the tournament. However, I only received $19,000. I was told repeatedly, ‘We’ll pay you tomorrow, in a couple of days,’ but nothing happened. I’ve fulfilled all my obligations under the contract, but I haven’t been paid. I am shocked by Samir’s behavior. I never expected this.”
He further explained that, despite his efforts, he could not return to Bangladesh after a short visit to Pakistan during the tournament. Samir had promised to send a return ticket, but it never arrived, and Afridi could not rejoin the team. He reached out to BCB president Faruk Ahmed for assistance, saying, “I’ve written to the BCB president a few days ago. If needed, I will also write to the prime ministers and top advisers of both countries.”
Afridi also revealed that he refrained from making the issue public earlier due to his love and respect for Bangladesh. “Bangladesh holds a special place in my heart. I’ve always received immense respect and love from the people there. I didn’t want the reputation of the BPL to be tarnished. Payment issues can undermine the foundation of any league, and I didn’t want that for Bangladesh,” he said.
He then sent an email to BCB President Faruk Ahmed, explaining the issue in detail. Afridi highlighted the positive relationship he has had with Bangladesh and requested assistance in resolving the matter amicably.
“I’m reaching out to draw your attention to a matter regarding my involvement in BPL’s 11th season. It was an honor for me to be appointed as the brand ambassador and mentor of Chittagong Kings, and we formalized a contract. According to the contract, I was supposed to receive 50% of the payment ($50,000) before the tournament started, with the remainder paid during the competition. However, despite fulfilling my duties, I received only $19,000, which is a clear violation of the contract.”
Afridi also addressed the issue of his return ticket, which was never sent after he requested a week off to return to Pakistan. “During the tournament, I asked for a one-week leave to go to Pakistan, with permission to return by January 19. The team management assured me that they would send the return ticket, but after repeated inquiries, they never did. I was unable to rejoin the team for the remaining part of the tournament. This is very disappointing, especially for a franchise involved in such a prestigious league.”
In his letter, Afridi requested that the BCB president intervene and ensure that Chittagong Kings honor their financial commitments to him. “Mr. Ahmed, I kindly request that you intervene in this matter and ensure that Chittagong Kings management pays me the outstanding amount. My past experience with Bangladesh cricket has always been positive, and I believe that under your leadership, this issue can be resolved amicably.”
When contacted, Samir Kader Chowdhury initially denied any communication issues with Afridi, stating, “I haven’t spoken with him for several days, but if there’s any issue, he should speak to me directly.” He also denied the claim that Afridi’s attempts to reach him had been ignored, saying, “That’s not true. We spoke two weeks ago.”
However, Chowdhury did acknowledge that Afridi has not been fully paid. He added, “He has been paid around $21,000. The rest will be paid. It’s not that he won’t receive it. There’s no dispute. Everyone has their own pace when it comes to payments.”
When asked about the delay, Chowdhury suggested that Afridi’s lack of involvement in the final stages of the tournament might have caused some issues, but assured that the payment would be made, saying, “There was some trouble at the end… maybe that’s why he wasn’t brought in. But we’ve promised to pay him, and it will be resolved through discussion.”
Chowdhury also mentioned that he had informed BCB President Faruk Ahmed about the situation a month ago. However, there has been no comment from Faruk Ahmed regarding the matter, as he has not responded to calls or messages.
