Bangladesh’s hopes of hosting the Asia Cup in February-March received a further blow after a top official of the Asian Cricket Council dropped a hint that they could the shift the venue elsewhere from Dhaka. A decision in this regard could be taken at the ACC meeting on January 4 in Sri Lanka, said Syed Ashrfaul Haque, the Bangladeshi chief executive officer of the ACC.
‘Though it is too early to say whether the tournament will be moved from Bangladesh, surely there will a discussion in our meeting on the present political situation here,’ Ashraful told New Age. ‘At present it does not look to be very stable.’
Ashraful’s comments came amid growing speculation about Bangladesh’s fate as the host of Asia Cup and the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 due to the ongoing political violence in the country.
Cricket is among many things affected by the counrtywide violence that saw more than hundred people killed since an interim government took over the power in October.
West Indies Under-19 team cancelled their Bangladesh tour after a crude bomb had exploded outside their team hotel, an incident that drew the attention of international cricket community.
Pakistan have already voiced their concern publicly while Sri Lanka, who were due to play a bilateral series against Bangladesh from January 27 to February 22, said they are closely monitoring the situation.
Ashraful, also a former general secretary of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, said the meeting in Sri Lanka will have basically nothing to do with Bangladesh’s political situation.
‘The meeting was called to determine some commercial issues, but definitely we will discuss it,’ he said.
Ashraful, however, added that even if they shift the venue, there is no chance the date of the tournament will be changed.
‘Actually we cannot let the slot of Asia Cup go away and that is the primary reason we might opt to have a second option,’ said Ashraful.
‘But at the same time it is not true that the venue from Bangladesh will be moved immediately after the January 4 meeting of the ACC,’ said Ashraful.
‘We will certainly give some more time to Bangladesh. We are hopeful that the situation will improve and Bangladesh will host the Asia Cup as the tournament is still two months away,’ he said, adding that no team have expressed their reservation about the security situation in Bangladesh.
The BCB officials fear that the ACC decision could easily influence the ICC and Sri Lanka.
The ICC will also hold an important meeting on January 8 and 9, and chances are high that the ICC World Twenty20 will dominate the agenda.
-With New Age input
