MD ABU TALHA SARKER, Dhaka: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has set its focus on the next international home series against the West Indies in January after number of international series at home and abroad had to be postponed or cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic.
As a part of the preparation, BCB is organizing domestic cricket tournaments one after another to ensure participation of the key and cog players of the team for the upcoming series.
All the matches to be played against the tourists are of very much importance considering the World Test Championship (WTC) and the 2023 World Cup qualifying. The host side will start their 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign with a three-match One Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies.
The BCB is silently making intense preparation for hosting the series on the home soil and remaining in touch with its Caribbean counterpart on a regular basis.
Even, BCB has prepared a bio-secure plan with the help of the local experts which will soon be dispatched to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), according to a BCB high official.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh had to miss out a slew of international home and away series including Pakistan (third leg) and Ireland series along with Australia and New Zealand series. Finally, they missed the Sri Lanka series due to the highly contagious COVID-19.
Bangladesh sought to stage their comeback in international cricket after a protracted corona-enforced lockdown. Accordingly, they rescheduled the Sri Lanka series after holding a long discussion with its Sri Lankan counterparts.
But their high hopes went awry at the final stage, when the cricketers were preparing for the much awaited tour. In the meantime, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sent a proposal with stiff conditions in which the BCB showed its reluctance especially on the proposed quarantine conditions.
Later, the BCB sketched a plan with a short notice to organize a new cricket tournament titled “BCB President’s Cup” with three teams. BCB successfully finished the tournament without any big trouble. The initiative was trumpeted by all the stakeholders such as players, coaches, team management, media, and fans despite having concerns over worldwide coronavirus epidemic.
BCB is going to host the five-team Corporate T20 Cricket Tournament scheduled to roll onto the ground from the third week of November.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BCB Nizamuddin Chowdhury Shujan said, “You have all seen that we have organized a three-team competition successfully. We have plan to host another tournament of five teams. Whatever we are doing, we are doing as part of our planning”.
“We have an obligation to host an international series with the West Indies under the Future Tour Programme (FTP) of the International Cricket Council (ICC). We are communicating with the WICB,” Shujan told at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
“We will soon send our relevant medical plan or the COVID-19 management plan to the visiting side. Then, both the boards will take final decision over the matter through discussion,” he added.
It may be mentioned that the Caribbean side is scheduled to visit Bangladesh to play three Tests and as many ODIs along with a two-match Twenty20 International series in January 2021.
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