PCL time in Sharjah

The second version of the Port City League (PCL), the Bashundhara Cup T20 will kick off today at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The start of this year’s Twenty20 tournament was deferred by two days due to visa complications. The organisers failed to launch the tournament on March 26 as a number of players as well as the broadcasters didn’t receive the required travel documents visa in time.
It was learnt that still there were few players waiting to get visa and the broadcasters were expected to land in the United Arab Emirates last night. However there is very slim chance that satellite channel ATN Bangla will be able to telecast the first match live between Chittagong Mohammaden and Top Sports Noakhali at 5pm Bangladesh time, but the organisers hoped that the opening ceremony and the second match between Dhaka Sports and Biman would be aired. Chittagong Tigers, Pirates of Chittagong, Brothers and Bengal Tigers are the other teams in the competition.
The organisers took the help of local experts so that ATN Bangla can beam the live coverage of the opening ceremony.
Despite all the mismanagement, the organisers were optimistic about the success of the tournament as PCL chairman AZM Nasiruddin said that the image of the local Bangladeshi community would be brightened if the tournament succeeded in Sharjah.
According to UNB, he said while addressing a press conference at the Ramada Hotel yesterday that they had to undergo some difficulties to obtain visas for the huge Bangladeshi contingent as the local authority was very cautious in issuing entry permits for their experience of some illegal immigrants among the Bangladeshi community here.
The organisers were also impressed by the huge interest of the local Bangladeshis about the tournament. Nasir indicated that the tournament fixtures might be rescheduled considering the players’ national duty ahead of the T20 World Cup and the T20 National League.
The tournament is an opportunity for the national cricketers to prepare themselves for the upcoming World T20 to be held in the West Indies and former Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful, who is captaining the Chittagong Mohammedan side, hoped that everybody would try their best in the tournament.
“It’s a brilliant opportunity for the players ahead of the World T20. I hope it would be a very good tournament. I am looking forward to performing well in the tournament,” said Ashraful while addressing at a pre-match press conference at Ramada Hotel yesterday.
“We don’t have much experience in T20 game, so this kind of tournament is always helpful for us,” he added.

Courtesy of The Daily Star