ZCZC
BSP-20
CRICKET-INDIA-TOUR
No uncertainty over India tour despite players’ strike: Papon
DHAKA, Oct 22, 2019 (BSS)-Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president
Nazmul Hassan Papon quelled the uncertainty over the country’s upcoming tour
in India, stating that the tour will be on despite the players’ strike to
fulfill their 11-point demand.
Bangladesh’s upcoming tour of India, starting November 3, is now in
doubt as the players of the national side called for a press conference in
Dhaka and announced that they will not take part in any cricketing activities
unless a 11-point demands are met.
This also means they will not partake in the ongoing National Cricket
League (NCL) season, as well as the upcoming camp for the tour of India.
Senior players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and
Tamim Iqbal were all present at the press conference that also had a big
group of first-class cricketers standing by in support.
“I am hopeful that there will be camp and the India series will go on as
per schedule,” Papon said here on Tuesday.
“I still believe that most of the players want to play. I don’t believe
just for increasing some remuneration they will destroy the cricket of the
country,” he said.
“Why they are not asking me when they know they would get what they
want. Everything has a reason, not all players are doing it consciously,
maybe one or two players are aware of it,” he said.
The BCB has called an emergency meeting of its directors on Tuesday in
response to the players’ strike. They have less than 48 hours to convince the
players to play the next round of the first-class National Cricket League
matches in four venues across the country, and just a little more time to
convince them to start training in a prep camp for the tour of India. The
India tour begins on November 3.
The cricketers put out an 11-point demand on Monday, which they said
must be fulfilled before they will take part in any on-field activities. A
majority of those demands are financial commitments that the board has to
make publicly. Apart from the call to bring back Dhaka Premier League’s
players transfer in the 2019-20 season, even the players understand that the
rest of the points can only come into effect from next year.
According to Papon all the demands could have been met but apparently it
seemed the players wanted to in cash the India series.
“I don’t think there is any demand because either their demands are met
or in the process of being solved,” he said.
“We do everything for the betterment of the cricketers and all of a
sudden they are saying they won’t play. It is simply shocking. What I want to
say is that someone is playing behind the scene. We know who are behind this
conspiracy and soon we will find it out,” he said.
“The basic objective of this strike is to spoil the camp and India tour,
some outsiders are working on this, there could be some insider, we will find
out, but we should ask what development would be for cricket with this,” he
said.
The BCB president insisted they have already accepted most of the
demands of the players and if anything was left they were willing to talk.
‘We are open for talk. But they (players) even do not receive our phone,’ he
said.
The demands include respect from the Bangladesh Cricket Board members,
restoration of the previous pay structure in Dhaka Premier League, a promise
for returning to franchise-based Bangladesh Premier League from the next
season, at least Taka 1 lakh match fees for the National Cricket League, at
least 30 players in national payroll and 50 per cent rise in the salary of
first-class players.
The players’ announcement came at a time when Bangladesh are scheduled
to start their preparations for forthcoming India tour on October 25.
The Tigers will play three Twenty20 internationals and two Tests in
India, with the series starting with first Twenty20 international on November
3 in Delhi.
BSS/SMP/BZC/1940HRS