Major changes in the country’s domestic cricket calendar are afoot after rain played havoc with the start of the cricket season.
The National Cricket League (NCL) one-day competition will now be brought forward by three weeks after the first phase of the four-dayers had to be scrapped, due to the depression at the Bay of Bengal that brought incessant rain to all parts of the country.
The weather meant the venues weren’t in playable condition and considering the importance of the next round of matches, the BCB had no other option but to postpone.
The first round of matches saw three drawn games after rain ruined the fourth day of all three games in Jessore, Rajshahi and Bogra.
The shift to the NCL one-day schedule would mean the country’s only first-class competition would be shunted back to February and March next year during the World Cup, when the second phase will also be held.
“We will try to fit it around the Bangladesh matches of the World Cup,” said Gazi Ashraf Hossain, tournament committee chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
According to the former national captain, the limited overs competition will be held sometime later this month.
“The one-day tournament will be held in the third week of October. We are just waiting for approval from the cricket operations committee,” said Gazi Ashraf.
It is safe to say that the change had to be made to keep the schedule of the Dhaka Premier League intact because most of the national players are set to be available for the most important one-day competition in the country.
If the NCL one-dayers are held after the ongoing New Zealand series, the Tigers would also be able to play in that competition, adding a large number of limited overs matches under their belt ahead of the World Cup.
The change from four-day to one-day also means the six divisions will have to alter their gameplan and the players themselves have to quickly adjust their mindset.
Some who were picked in the divisional sides for the first time are of the belief that it would be hard for them to return to the four-day squads.
“Now the entire focus would be on one-day cricket which is good for me because I’ve only played that version mostly. But it would mean I have to play really well in the NCL one-dayers and then in the Premier League to make my case for the four-dayers,” said a young player, requesting anonymity.
