Rubel's chances brighten up

Rubel Hossain's prospects of playing the World Cup looked back on track with some initiatives taken yesterday by the Bangladesh Cricket Board suggesting that the board would stand by the national pacer.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon told reporters yesterday that he asked the BCB's legal experts to analyse the case filed against Rubel in a bid to decide as to whether or not the board would support the bowler.

Talking to reporters, at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday Papon said, "Since the players' camp is set to begin soon, we have to take a decision. I have asked our legal team to get involved in this issue. We want them to analyse the merit of the case.

"If there is merit in the case then we may have to take a decision against him. But if we see that there is suspicion and that the case is not too strong then the board will stand by him.

"The issue has become a bit embarrassing for us because he landed in jail soon after he was included in the World Cup squad. Everyone around the world has come to know about the issue and we have received several queries as well," added Papon.

It was learnt that Rubel's lawyer may appeal for his bail today.

Earlier in the day the chairman of BCB's cricket operations committee, Akram Khan, went to meet Rubel, who was sent to jail on Thursday, along with the player's parents.

"I went there with his parents to meet him. We went there to give him support. He was down and we wanted to give him confidence. We are confident that we will get him for the World Cup," Akram told The Daily Star yesterday.

A case was filed against the pacer under the Prevention of Women and Child Repression Act last month.