Hospitality not enough

Australia women's team captain Meg Lanning and Sri Lanka skipper Lasith Malinga pose with the ICC World Twenty20 trophies during a function at a city hotel yesterday. PHOTO: CRICINFO

Bangladesh's reputation as a good host was enhanced with the successful ending of the ICC World Twenty20; the biggest tournament the country has organised, in which a total of 26 teams took part. With it has been cemented in the global cricketing consciousness what we as Bangladeshis always knew; that we as a people are generous and inviting hosts.
It is hard to imagine now that there was once doubt over the hosting of two international events -- the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20 -- due to security concerns, but both tournaments have been hosted in the right spirit and in a peaceful manner. For these successful endeavours all the concerned authorities and above all the people deserve some pats on their backs. Of course, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) played the leading role behind the success to uphold the country's image as good hosts.
There have however been whispers about some irregularities, and cynics are saying that many were lining their pockets. Whether this is idol gossip or if it holds some water is something only the BCB can clear. Will the BCB boss Nazmul Hassan Papon be courageous enough to make all the expenditures public to clear the air? It is not healthy that questions have been raised about the involvement of a board director in the purchase of generators. The danger that such a conflict of interest can lead to was recently seen in Indian cricket.
Another important question the authorities must ask themselves is: Is the successful hosting of a tournament enough to improve the value of the country's cricket? Surely not. Being successful hosts will hardly serve the purpose of earning respect as a cricketing nation. One has to make sure that its players are competitive at the highest level of the game and their performances add some value to the game. Forget about our performance in the just-concluded ICC's global event, our overall performance and standard of cricket is far behind from where we should be on the global map. The issue of inadequate facilities always comes to the fore after every failure of the Tigers on the international stage but how much are we utilising available facilities is a bigger question. Do we have the proper management to capitalise on the available facilities? Are the right people in the right places?
How much time cricket authorities spend discussing the future of cricket is a harsh question that needs answering? It is widely believed that they prefer to spend their time on logistic affairs and cricket affairs always take the back seat; otherwise how is it possible that we do not have any long-term plans. After every debacle we sing the same song and hardly learn from the mistakes. The BCB president recently said that they were in fire-fighting mode with the big events and problems one after the other since they took charge and now they are going to make long-term plans. We want to believe that he will be true to his words. Chopping and changing is not always a good solution but the board has to bite the bullet; they can in no way hesitate to take any decision if they believe it is necessary for the long-term improvement of our cricket.
Domestic affairs may not hold the same appeal and glamour for many board members as international affairs do, but the solution remains the same; improve the standard of the domestic cricket and improvement at the international level will follow. We are a top level cricketing nation yet to fix a cricket calendar; how can one expect better than what we have seen?
A lot of water has gone under the bridge since Bangladesh's elevation to Test status 14 years ago, but the ugly truth is we are still well short of desired standards. It should be understood that no one will look at our record of hosting international events when it comes giving us opportunities in international cricket. As we bask in the roaring success of an event, it is imperative that we recognise the path to true cricketing respect.