Ganguly confident Bangladesh tour will go ahead
KOLKATA: BCCI president-elect Sourav Ganguly said in Kolkata that he was confident that Bangladesh will not call-off its tour of India due to begin on November 3.
Ganguly was speaking in the backdrop of Bangladesh players threatening to go on strike until their demands, including a hike in salary, are met.
“It is the internal matter of BCB and it doesn’t come under my purview,” Ganguly told reporters in Kolkata. However, many in the Indian Cricket Board feel that Ganguly’s cordial relations with both players and officials in Bangladesh cricket might help in salvaging the situation.
“There is a Test match in Kolkata, which will certainly generate a lot of interest among the Bangladesh fans keeping the local connect in mind. A lot of fans are expected to travel from Dhaka and it’s surrounding towns to watch the match, a first in Kolkata. I believe that they will pay heed to our president’s request if the situation demands,” another BCCI official said.
Sources in the BCB believe that the tour remains on course as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to attending the second Test at the Eden Gardens from November 22.
In case Bangladesh forfeits, the ICC will award the Test series to India which will get 120 points.
The boycott plan was announced by the country’s top players such as Test and T20 captain Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim at a press conference here.
Nearly 50 players are part of the protest.
A boycott of any cricket activity for the foreseeable future will have an immediate impact on the National Cricket League, currently in progress. During the tour of India starting November 3, Bangladesh is scheduled to play three T20 Internationals and two Test matches as part of the World Championship.
“We have to respect the local coaches, physios, trainers and groundsman. They get really a little amount of salary at the end of the month,” senior opener Tamim Iqbal said on behalf of the players at the press conference.
The camp was supposed to start this week with the team’s spin consultant Daniel Vettori in attendance.
Mahmudullah said the players had been expressing their “discontent for a long time.”
“We get a very low amount as our remuneration from Dhaka league. We used to contact the club in our own way previously. Now, our demand is to go back to the previous model of the Dhaka league,” he said.
“We just came to know about it we will discuss it in the board and try to resolve it as soon as possible,” BCB CEO Nizamudin Chowdhury said. “I don’t think it is anything like revolt. They are yet to tell us anything formally, but we are looking into the matter.”