Guyana Amazon Warriors' skipper and former Protea spinner Imran Tahir expresses his outrage over non-payment of dues for his stint with Rangpur Riders in last year's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season. As his side looked to lock horns with the Bangladeshi franchise in the ongoing Global Super League tournament, his eye-opening remarks have highlighted a grave issue within the Bangladesh domestic cricket structure. 

Speaking at the toss, Tahir was visibly frustrated with Rangpur Riders on this issue which in turn fueled his desire to outperform his former franchise in the 8th encounter of the Global Super League. 

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Tahir's comments at the toss

At the time of winning the toss, Tahir's comments seemed to be very modest at first. Like most captains, Tahir backed his side and wanted them to put on a good show. 

He seemed to be in good spirits before unleashing a bombshell on his opposition Rangpur Riders, which now happens to be one of the former franchises he represented last year. 

"We want to win every game; that's what we're here for. I am personally motivated to win this match for Guyana because last year I played for Rangpur in the BPL. I still haven't received my full payment from them, which makes me even more eager to perform against them."

The Demerara Bank Coin Toss goes the way of the Rangpur Riders and they have decided to bat first tonight! 🇬🇾 vs 🇧🇩 #GSLT20 #GAWvRR #GlobalSuperLeague pic.twitter.com/4vzXbmIoHz

— Global Super League (@gslt20) December 4, 2024

Tahir does not end there. He goes a step further to intensify his attack on the Rangpur Riders franchise. He wanted to highlight Guyana's welcoming culture which stands in sharp contrast with the outlook and the mindset of his former franchise. 

"We want to show them that Guyana welcomes them. They bring their local players here, earn some money, play good and we’ll show them that we’re better humans than them." 

Warriors fell short in a low-scoring thriller

Despite the bold comments from the Guyana Warriors skipper, the Warrior nation fell short by 15 runs. Pretorious, Tanzim, and Tahir starred with the ball picking up seven wickets but a fighting knock of 58 from Khushdil dragged the Riders to a face-saving total of 117. 

The Warriors batters failed to apply themselves in the run chase as Kamrul and Harmeet shared seven wickets between them to sink Guyana Warriors for 102. The Nurul Hasan-led Rangpur Riders have stormed their way to the final and will face Victoria at the Providence Stadium on December 6.