No Pakistanis, but show on

Admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:56:38 +0000

Curtain on the BPL raises today
The speculation is over and it is now official that the Pakistani cricketers will not be allowed to play in the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament this season.
The curtain of the money-spinning tournament rises today with a colourful ceremony as the Bangladesh Cricket Board decided to keep the show on as per schedule despite the no-show of the Pakistanis.
The BCB had set a deadline of 10:00am on Wednesday for the Pakistanis to confirm their participation and but received no formal reply from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
PCB chief executive officer Subhan Ahmed made a phone call in the afternoon to confirm their decision, which was nevertheless, very much expected. Though it was a blow, the BCB refused to bow down and decided to hold the tournament without delaying it for a second.
It also took some pressure off from the BCB as it has now no moral obligation to send the national cricket team to Pakistan, who are desperate to bring international cricket to their country.
‘We have got a phone call from the Pakistan Cricket Board CEO, who said they cannot send their players in the BPL,’ BCB spokesman Jalal Yunus told a news conference. ‘Now we have to give a second thought if we will tour Pakistan.’
BCB president Nazmul Hasan said it was a challenge for them now to start the tournament.
‘There is no way we will delay the tournament for the Pakistanis. It will start on schedule and that’s a challenge for us,’ said Nazmul, with his jaws hardened. ‘There is no chance we will allow the Pakistanis now even if they change their heart. Maybe we will incur some financial loss. But we are not concerned about that.’
The BCB president said he was shocked with the attitude of the PCB, which was late in making its decision. Asked if he thinks Pakistan was trying to blackmail Bangladesh, Nazmul replied in the negative but added that he had expected something better.
‘I would not say it’s blackmailing. But they knew the tournament will start on January 17. They could have told us of their decision. I cannot think they made the decision so late despite knowing our schedule.’
Nazmul, however, insisted they have their alternative plans and the response is very good from the other countries.
‘We have our alternative plans and we are working on that. Players will come from five to six other countries. Hopefully all the franchises will get their replacements,’ he said.
‘This is not a challenge just for the BCB, it’s a challenge for Bangladesh and I just hope the franchisees will also realise it. We hope to overcome the challenge with everyone’s cooperation.’
The BCB president added that he is now a relived man as there is no hurry now to make a decision on the Pakistan tour.
‘I had the PCB on my mind only until 10:00am today,’ said Nazmul. ‘Now we will sit and see if we can send the team to Pakistan. There is no hurry for us.’

-With New Age input

The post No Pakistanis, but show on appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

Last-minute PCB decision puts franchises in trouble

Admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:52:28 +0000

The last-minute decision of Pakistan to keep its players off from the Bangladesh Premier League put the franchises in deep trouble to find replacements despite the assurance given by Bangladesh Cricket Board.
The BCB waited until 10:00am on Wednesday for the Pakistani players and instructed the franchises to look for alternatives after a negative reply from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
A total of 51 Pakistani cricketers were put up for auction for the second edition of the BPL while 27 of them were chosen by different franchises for the tournament.
Three franchises – Khulna Royal Bengals, Rangpur Riders and Duranto Rajshahi – are the most-affected sides with this development and they looked desperate to find a suitable replacement even though the tournament is due to start on Friday.
Royal Bengals were the worst hit as they had picked seven Pakistani players – Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Awais Zia, Umar Amin, Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail and Bilawal Bhatti.
‘We have fallen into a deep sea,’ Ashfaqur Rahman, a director of Royal Bengals told New Age. ‘We just cannot get replacements overnight. Even if we want to get replacements we need time to bring them,’ he said.
‘We are asking the governing council to change the date of our first game so that we can arrange the players,’ he said.
Rangpur bought four players – Sharjil Khan, Anwar Ali, Raja Ali Dar and Zoyeb Khan – and are yet to confirm any replacement.
‘The foreign players are engaged in different competitions like Big Bash. We are looking for suitable replacements though none has been confirmed yet,’ said Faruque Ahmed, adviser to Rangpur Riders.
Duranto Rajshahi have somehow replaced their four Pakistani players – Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, Shahzaib Hasan and Khalid Latif – with Simon Katich, Jeehan Mubarak, Dilshan Monaveera and Moin Ali.
Chittagong Kings are not keen for a replacement immediately for their two Pakistanis, Imran Nazir and Wahab Riaz, as they have enough players at their disposal.
‘We have other players to fill their shoes and would be looking for replacement if required with the progression of the tournament,’ said Sameer Quader Chowdhury, owner of Chittagong Kings.
Dhaka Gladiators have the least concern as they have just one Pakistani cricketer in Shahid Afridi in their side and they are not too worried about his non-availability.
‘We have got only one player and it won’t be a big problem but still we are looking for a replacement,’ said Salim Chowdhury, owner of Gladiators.
Sylhet Royals are looking for replacements for Azim Ghooman, Zulfiqur Babar, Babar Azam and Sohel Ahmed but are yet to get anyone.

-With New Age input

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pakistani cricketer - Dhaka Mirror

No Pakistanis, but show on

Last-minute PCB decision puts franchises in trouble