ZCZC
BSP-32
CRICKET-BCB-PRESIDENT
BCB president hints little change in Tigers’ World Cup squad
DHAKA, April 6, 2019 (BSS)-Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul
Hassan sees hardly any change in the country’s World Cup squad, terming the
current side as a ‘settled unit’ which could give any team of the world a
tough fight.
Tigers’ 15-member World Cup squad is expected to be named in the third week
of April.
“We have the ability to give any team a tough fight,” Nazmul said in a
sports programme in the city today. “We have faith on our team. The team is
above all okay. There is hardly any chance that we might bring about any
change. It’s a settled unit at the moment.”
Bangladesh’s last tour in New Zealand however was a disappointing one as
they lost the ODI and Test series without much resistance.
But Nazmul was unfazed by the performance, saying the New Zealand’s
condition was tougher for the team who had to play there literally without
any good practice match as they were busy with playing Bangladesh Premier
League (BPL).
“Shakib Al Hasan was not in the team because of his injury. Tamim,
Mushfiqur, Shakib, Mahmudullah need to score runs if we want to fight and
win. But the New Zealand condition was a tougher one, there was swing, bounce
and the weather was not favourable for us,” he said. “Still in almost every
match we put up 200 plus score even without Shakib. So I believe the players
have the ability to do better than what they showed in New Zealand.”
Nazmul also insisted on increasing the number of grounds in Dhaka in a bid
to give the clubs and players the opportunity to have regular practices.
“Let alone the countries like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, even
if you visit Sri Lanka, you will see only Colombo has got eight stadiums and
three stadiums to host Test matches. Whereas we have just one stadium in
Dhaka, so we need to built more playing grounds in the city,” he revealed.
The BCB boss also thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to give the BCB and
country’s sports an outright support and assistance.
“We have good success in female cricket who won the Asia Cup. Male cricket
team is also playing well as we moved into the semifinal of ICC Champions
Trophy, sealed a Quarterfinal berth in 2015 World Cup. Honourable Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina is instrumental behind our success. She is giving us
outright support when we need it,” he concluded.
BSS/SMP/ARS/2016 hrs