Former Bangladesh Cricket Board president Saber Hossain Chowdhury called for the BCB to put its emphasis back on cricket after the recent below-par performances of the different age-level teams and the second string Bangladesh side abroad.
Saber made the statement after observing the recent performances of the Bangladesh A team, which has lost all seven of its matches in England, including five matches against county sides.
The misery continued as the Bangladesh Under-23s were eliminated from the ACC Emerging Teams Cup after losing to the UAE by 59 runs, while the Under-19s failed to qualify for the final of a tri-nation series in England earlier this month.
‘We should start focusing on cricket,’ Saber, who recently ended months of speculation by announcing his candidacy for president in the forthcoming BCB election, said on Friday.
‘The Bangladesh Cricket Board is certainly divided into two parts. The first part is Bangladesh cricket, while the second part is the board that will administer it,’ said Saber.
‘But there is hardly any focus on the first aspect; rather, everyone seems to be busy getting themselves onto the board.
‘If there was no cricket, then the BCB would be meaningless. So there should be a serious post-mortem of the recent performances,’ he added.
Saber, who led the BCB from 1997 to 2001, criticised his rival, BCB president Nazmul Hassan, for bowing down to the demands of clubs to get their support.
The uncertainty surrounding the Dhaka Premier League, which had already been deferred on four earlier occasions, was considered to be a major factor in the inadequate preparation of the cricketers, as some quarters believed that doubt was always in the back of their minds.
It was widely recognised that the clubs had bargaining power over the BCB because they promised to support Nazmul in the forthcoming election, and their demands grew further when the latest constitution allowed for two councilors from each of the top six teams.
‘If you want someone’s support then you might have to bow down to their demands, as you become weak,’ said Saber.
‘The two councilors from each of the top six teams in the DPL certainly seemed inappropriate, as the same thing is not applicable for the first, second and third divisions,’ he added.
The former BCB boss welcomed Nazmul after the latter officially announced his desire to contest the election on Thursday.
‘I am always willing to take part in an election with an opponent,’ he said.
‘I just hope there is level-playing field available, and I am contesting the election because I am confident I can develop that level playing field,’ he added.
-With New Age input
