Bangladesh Cricket Board has called nine cricketers from the ongoing National Cricket League to participate in the national team’s T20 practice game at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Sunday evening.
Sabbir Rahman and Nazmul Hossain Santo from Rajshahi, Ebadat Hossain from Sylhet, Nayeem Hasan and Yasir Ali Chowdhury from Chittagong, Abu Haider from Dhaka Metroroplis, Rishad Hossain from Rangpur and Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Mithun from Khulna were summoned, who were supposed to represent their respective sides in the second day of the ongoing third round matches of the NCL.
A board has the power to withdraw any cricketer from an ongoing domestic game in case of national duty, which the BCB rightfully did with the nine cricketers.
The Bangladesh team preparing for the three-match T20I series against host India will play two practice matches and in order to have proper match situation, the national team management has called on the cricketers.
Questions however, have been raised with regards to the planning of the operations.
The third round of the NCL was postponed due to the three-day long strike, and instead started Saturday across different parts of the country.
Two of the matches could not roll on the field on day one owing to inclement weather, while the matches between Rajshahi-Rangpur and Khulna-Dhaka, both in Cox’s Bazar, took place.
BCB president Nazmul Hasan during an interaction with the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday said, “Players from the NCL matches that could not start [due to rain] will be called up to join the national team.”
However, the scenario is different.
It is being widely discussed as to why the cricketers “called to Dhaka on emergency basis” were made to travel with their respective NCL teams, and allowed to take the field just for a day.
It is being thought to be a part of “mismanagement”.
The practice T20 game Sunday is part of the national camp schedule that was circulated Thursday.
Even if the third round of the NCL had started as per its original schedule, Thursday, the game would not have finished, and thus, the cricketers would have been unavailable for the national practice game.
Member of the national selection panel Habibul Bashar said Bangladesh cricket went through an unprecedented situation [players’ strike] recently and change in schedule is a possible reason.
“We never expected to face such situation. However, the national team management wanted to have full scenario T20 matches and thus we have called the nine cricketers,” said Bashar to Dhaka Tribune.
The Bangladesh cricketers will play their second T20 practice game Monday before travelling to India Wednesday.
The Tigers in their maiden full series in India will play three T20Is and two Test matches against the host.
