Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president AHM Mustafa Kamal subtly moved from his refreshing ‘professionalism’ stance yesterday, suggesting the position of the chief executive officer (CEO) could soon become history.
During a press conference after the Annual General Meeting at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Kamal said that if the board moves from CEO to COO (chief operating officer), there would not be any difference in its job description.
He emphasised that not even a single punctuation will be changed in the functioning of the COO from CEO.
But when asked then what’s the point to change the name, the BCB boss apparently looked hapless and hinted of a future compromise deal.
“I want the CEO since it is my principle to uphold the constitution, but I’m not the only one in BCB. There are others and I want to take everyone’s opinion in the matter,” said Kamal, who added that any change to the constitution would only be for the improvement of cricket in the country.
The amendment, like many of the other issues, is likely to be placed on the November 30 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) after further discussion in a board meeting on October 28.
Kamal also, quite inexplicably, drew an example of Pakistan Cricket Board, an institution that has become an international pariah through their activities over the last decade, while supporting his statement.
“The COO will not be belittled in any way. Some full member countries in the International Cricket Council (ICC) have CEO, some have COO; Pakistan has a COO while in India, the general secretary carries out the duties of a CEO,” said Kamal, also an Awami League lawmaker.
His latest stance can be best described as a dramatic U-turn after his stubborn position of upholding professionalism in the face of a perceptible division among the board directors over the amendment to the constitution.
Kamal was earlier, against any move to make the CEO into a glorified COO (chief operating officer) in the draft of the amendment, a move prepared by constitution committee chief Dewan Shafiul Arefin, who was also present during the hour-long briefing to the journalists.
Meanwhile, the BCB Game Development committee will also go through changes in its overall function, by dividing up the different age-groups and school cricket and making sure all the districts participate in every section of the age-group. The idea is to have the Game Development committee to hold training of the different teams but not hold tournaments across the country.
“There are thousands of players in school cricket and one committee cannot take care of that and other age-group teams at the same time.
Attending the final of the different competitions is not game development,” said the BCB chief.
It was also ascertained that a board member would monitor the smooth running of these age-group competitions across the country, holding any district responsible if they don’t take part in any of the tournaments.
The 139 BCB councillors (out of 168) who attended the AGM unanimously approved the minutes of the AGM and EGM held in 2006 and 2008. Apart from that, the CEO’s report and audited accounts for 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 and the BCB annual budget for the years 2009-10 and 2010-11 were all approved as was the appointment of an auditor.
