Pakistan for sure, says Papon
Former Bangladesh Cricket Board president AHM Mustafa Kamal (C) welcomes his successor Nazmul Hasan Papon at the BCB headquarters in Mirpur yesterday.Photo: STAR
= BPL payment deadline today
= Pybus given ultimatum
= Investigating committee given 3 weeks time.
Newly appointed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan Papon, has said that he will 'surely' send the Bangladeshi cricket team to a tour of Pakistan during his tenure.
Papon, who began his first day at the BCB headquarters with a five-hour long meeting with the directors of the board and former president, AHM Mustafa Kamal, addressed a number of pending issues of the board.
"There are a number of issues that I have to deal with. But come what may, I am surely going to try to arrange a tour to Pakistan. I also hope that the International Cricket Council (ICC) provides us with enough support," said Papon. The on-again, off-again tour to Pakistan has been a consistent thorn in the side of the BCB for the whole year.
With regards to a tour to India, however, the new president was sceptical. Terming India as a 'challenging' tour, Papon hoped that Kamal's high profile post at the ICC could help achieve the much sought after sub-continental tour.
"Almost every country wants to tour India. It's going to be difficult. But the fact that we have Mustafa Kamal in the ICC will definitely help us in this regard," added Papon.
The meeting also touched upon some of the crucial concerns of the board. The BCB stated that the governing council of the Bangladeshi Premier League had earlier met all the franchises of the BPL and had given them a deadline till Saturday (today) to pay their players the outstanding wages.
"We have asked each and every franchise to complete all the payments. If they don't, then we will take a decision regarding the BCB's relationship with these teams in the next board meeting which will take place on the 24th," said Kamal.
Earlier, a report published by the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh had stated that 54 players who played in the BPL hadn't yet been given their due wages.
The board also confirmed a franchised-based event featuring the top 80 performers of the 14th NCL, which is scheduled to take place after the end of the National Cricket League. According to officials, the teams in the tournament will represent different Zonal Franchises with the country divided into four zones.
The meeting also discussed the problems regarding Richard Pybus, head coach of the national cricket team. The officials decided to give Pybus one last opportunity, to retain his job based on the existing conditions between the two parties and have asked him to return to Bangladesh before the series against the West Indies.
"Pybus is a professional coach, but we cannot accept the long leaves that he requires to meet his family abroad. We'll take a final decision soon, based on his reply," said Kamal.
The board also raised the issues regarding umpire Nadir Shah and the allegations made against him by journalists from the India TV, a private Indian Television Channel. "The committee formed to handle the investigation have been given three weeks time. They can even invite the journalists from India for questioning if they want to. We want a fair trial," said Kamal.
The board has also decided to train BCB's umpire Anisur Rahman in an attempt to appoint him as the TV-umpire for the upcoming series against the West Indies. "Nadir Shah's suspension has caused a slight shortage in the number of umpires available for the series. While we have enough on-field umpires, we, however, require a fourth umpire or a TV umpire," said Kamal.
The day also witnessed Kamal, officially handing over the presidential throne to Papon in a glitzy environment which saw various party supporters come by to congratulate the new president.
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