BCB unhappy with slow progress at World T20 venues

BCB president Nazmul Hassan is not happy with the pace at which the venues for the 2014 World Twenty20 - which will be hosted by Bangladesh - are being developed. An ICC consultant visited the four venues earmarked for the tournament over the past week and, according to Hassan, didn't leave the country satisfied.

Work on the facilities at the stadium in Sylhet - that was built last year - is not complete, while construction work at the brand new stadium in Cox's Bazar is also still underway. The World T20 is scheduled to be played between March 16 and April 6 next year, with Mirpur and Chittagong being the other two venues.

"The ICC AGM [which will happen in London next week] is critical for us, because the ICC's consultant who visited Bangladesh recently is not satisfied with what he saw at the World Twenty20 venues," Hassan said. "There is a proposal to discuss alternative venues [in Bangladesh] at the meeting. We have to make them understand that there is no need for alternate venues. We can make do with what we have.

"The major challenge is with the stadium in Sylhet. We know that we can finish the Cox's Bazar venue."

In April when the stadium in Sylhet was officially opened, Hassan had said that work was held up due to bureaucracy. Work on the floodlights and the dressing rooms began only recently. Hassan said the National Sports Council's budget is funding the work at the stadium.

"If work hadn't started at the venues within the last six months, then how can it be finished by September? The good news is that, recently, it has begun in full swing after the tender was taken.

"The finance minister and sports minister have given their full support as far as the budget is concerned. So when they [the ICC representatives] return in August, I am sure they will express their satisfaction."