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India cancels plan to co-host Asia XI vs World XI match
DHAKA, Jan 22, 2020 (BSS)-India cancelled the plan to host the exhibition
match between Asia XI and World XI that will be played to celebrate the birth
centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said
a top official of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
While Bangladesh will host two T20 matches, which will have International
status to mark the occasion on March 18 and 22 in Mirpur, India was willing
to hold one match at the new Sardar Patel stadium, built at a cost of $100
million.
However, India opted out of the plan since the stadium, on the far west of
India, in the city of Ahmedabad, is still under construction.
The stadium is considered as the world’s largest cricket stadium spreading
over 63 acres o land with a clubhouse that includes 50 rooms and an Olympic-
size swimming pool and 73 corporate boxes. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly
earlier stated that he will seek ICC’s approval for the opening game of the
series scheduled to be played in March.
However, Ganguly changed his stance regarding hosting the match and
informed it to BCB officials during a meeting at Kolkata recently as the
stadium will not be ready to host the match during the time frame.
“A match was expected to be played there as they were likely to inaugurate
a big stadium but now they [ BCCI] are not ready to do it and both the
matches will be played here,” BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said here today
after a meeting with the BCCI boss at Kolkata.
”There is no chance that the matches will be played in India at this point
of time and it can only happen on a different time frame and on a different
occasion provided they are interested. But they were very keen to host it,”
he added.
The BCB CEO added that they are looking forward to make the event
colourful and leave no stone unturned to make the occasion a thing to
remember.
He said BCB had already chalked plans to invite big names to make the
event colourful.
”We are open to inviting everyone. We will definitely invite the high-ups
of the cricket world, dignitaries who are in the ICC and other important
positions. Also, we will try to bring cricketing legends of different eras.
We will try to make all the necessary arrangements to make the event
colourful,” Chowdhury added.
”We are communicating with almost everyone. As I said, we are contacting
with every player who are in our list. There are a few complications that we
need to work on. There are some cases where there is a series starting or
there is a series starting right after the event. On those cases, we are
working on how we can ensure their participation,” he said.
”It would have been much easier for us if we could call on retired
players. But as both the matches have been given international status, there
is no chance of calling retired players. International cricket legends could
attend the event, but there is no chance of them playing,” he informed.
Currently BCB have prepared a shortlist of players for the exhibition match
and asked different boards for cooperation in this regard.
”The team will be announced right before the matches. It won’t be
announced so soon. This is not the national squad that we can announce
whenever we want to. Player availability is a big issue. Their international
commitments are also very important,” he pointed out.
”You will get to know how many Bangladeshi players will be in the team
after we form the squads. We will definitely have some priority. But I don’t
want to take names or say number right now. We will decide that after
discussing it with the board. We will take the decision after discussing it
with our selectors,” he concluded.
BSS/SMP/ARS/1932 hrs