Divisional cricket should get the focus if the Bangladesh Cricket Board wants to take the game forward, suggested former national captains during a meeting with chief executive officer Manzur Ahmed on Sunday.
Manzur, who took over the charge in September, invited the former skippers for an introductory meeting where various issues involving Bangladesh cricket came up for discussion.
Nine former national captains out of 15 attended the meeting that lasted for two hours.
‘Divisional cricket is the backbone of our cricket and we must focus on it,’
suggested former captain Khaled Mashud. ‘It will better if the board can introduce a franchise-based divisional first-class competition.’
Habibul Bashar, the most successful captain to date, echoed the same views.
‘We must host domestic cricket on a well-prepared wicket,’ Bashar told the meeting. ‘The BCB also should look into improving players at the regional level and ensure that every division has their own league,’ he said.
CEO Manzur said they discussed on general agenda and will talk with the skippers on specific issues.
‘It was just a courtesy meeting and we spoke on general agenda. We have taken note of their suggestions and will talk to them on specific agenda if and when needed,’ he said.
Shamim Kabir, Shafiqul Haq, Roquibul Hassan, Gazi Ashraf Hossain, Minhajul Abedin, Akram Khan, Habibul Bashar, Khaled Mashud and Rajin Saleh were present at the meeting.
Faruque Ahmed, Aminul Islam, Naimur Rahman, Khaled Mahmud and Mohammad Ashraful did not attend the meeting. Aminul is currently in China while Ashraful was on his way back from Asian Games. The reasons for others to skip the meeting could not be known immediately.
