Dhaka – Terming whimsical the two-tier Test cricket draft proposal by influential countries, BNP on Tuesday urged the Bangladesh Cricket
Board (BCB) to take steps for getting support of neutral countries against the move to save the Tiger’s test status.
In a statement, BNP acting secretary general said, “We’re noticing with concern that the cricket boards of India, Australia and England
have proposed the ICC to introduce a two-tier Test cricket in a bid to put the BCB’s heard-earned test status at stake.”
He lamented that though cricket boards of South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have already opposed the quirky proposal, BCB
at a meeting of its board of directors on January 23 decided to back the proposal of Indian Cricket Board.
The BNP spokesman alleged that BCB is considering the finical benefit as more important than the test status which is not right and logical.
Mentioning that cricket is among a few of achievements for which the country can be proud of, the BNP leader recalled that a strong country
like New Zealand has recently lost to Tigers in a test series.
He also described the national cricket team an important force to create national unity during the country’s present critical juncture,
Fakhrul said, “We think the efforts to destroy this force is tantamount to attack on the country’s dignity and glory.”
Referring to the peaceful protest by the country’s cricket lovers against the proposal and BCB’s stance, the BNP acting secretary
general expressed BNP’s sympathy to them and solidarity with them.
He alleged a resentment and frustration have been created among the cricket lovers as the BCB gave different version on its stance on the
proposal and did not let the country’s people know what decisions they made in January 23 meeting to place the ICC.
Under the circumstance the party gave two proposals through the statement:
The BCB can hold another meeting of its board of directors to take decision in written against the conspiratorial proposals of the three
countries to stanch Tiger’s test status. The cricket board must make the decision public and posted those on its website.
The BCB together with the countries opposing the proposal will take necessary steps to get the support of the countries still at neutral
position.
India, Australia and England, now popularly known as Big 3, eye the lion’s share of the ICC revenue and hence want a massive structural
overhaul of world cricket administration that will effectively give them the greater control.
A draft proposal on these lines was schedule to present to the ICC executive board during its quarterly meeting in Dubai on January 28
and 29.
According to the proposed draft which was reported widely in the world media for the last couple of days, new executive committee (ExCo) will
be set up with permanent memberships for BCCI, CA, ECB, to override all other committees. Promotion and relegation in Test cricket will be
determined, with exceptions made in the cases of BCCI, CA, ECB.
There is also a suggestion of creating two-tier Test cricket with England, Australia and India all guaranteed to avoid relegation from
the top tier because of their commercial value. Those changes, however, are all but sure that will affect Bangladesh as a new Test
nation.
The proposals need seven votes from the ICC’s 10 leading nations to pass.
Earlier, BCB Media Committee chairman Jalal Yunus said they would protest against the draft proposal in the next International Cricket
Council (ICC) meeting. – UNB
