ZCZC
BSP-16
CRICKET-BCB-IRELAND
BCB agrees to convert the one-off Test against Ireland to T20 series
DHAKA, Dec 17, 2019 (BSS)-The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) agreed with
Ireland’s proposal to convert the one-off Test against them into a T20 series
as the Irish Cricket Board wants to concentrate more on the shortest form of
the cricket, keeping the World T20 in mind.
Bangladesh was expected to play a Test in Ireland in 2020 as per the
Future Tour Programme (FTP), which could be the country’s only second Test
since being the regular member of ICC.
Ireland on Monday announced that they want to bring up changes to their
FTP 2020, which includes the cancellation of a five-match T20I series against
Afghanistan and the conversion of the one-off Test vs Bangladesh into a T20I.
“It was their call that they wanted to play shorter version cricket
instead of the Test match,” BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said here today.
“What we understand that they want to prepare them for the shorter version
of the cricket.” He continued: “According to FTP schedule there was a Test
and that is what agreed upon by the board. But now they feel that they cannot
play the Test for certain reasons.”
Chowdhury said that the Cricket Ireland didn’t disclose the reasons behind
their move.
”They did not disclose the reasons though we understood that the reason
behind it is financial. They have told us that they have certain limitation
and so they wanted to play shorter version cricket,” he said.
Earlier, Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom stated that
financial challenges faced by the board have been the catalyst for such a
decision.
With Ireland not being part of the Test Championship, Deutrom brought up
the absence of ‘context’ in the lone Test at home, and the fact that there is
a T20 World Cup and an ODI league to look ahead to. “The first area of
prioritisation for 2020 has been white ball cricket over red ball. Like all
Irish cricket fans, we would love nothing more than to be competing on all
three fronts – Tests, ODIs and T20Is,” he said.
“Unfortunately, our financial constraints have led us to cut the home Test
match next year. As the Test does not form part of the World Test
Championship, the one-off match lacks context”, he added.
For effectively a ‘friendly’ one, the expected costs for hosting the Test
would be over EUR 1 million, with little expectation of creating revenue
streams to cover the costs of hosting.”
BSS/SMP/ARS/1759 hrs