A gentleman's offer - BCB resigns to migrate to Mirpur (1 May 1999)

1 May 1999

A gentleman's offer - BCB resigns to migrate to Mirpur

Our Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to opt for the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium at Mirpur for their permanent use instead of sharing the Bangabandhu National Stadium with football.

The decision was taken by the BCB in its EC meeting held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Thursday.

"To have a permanent stadium with pitches of international standard, we will soon ask the National Sports Council to allot us the stadium at Mirpur," said BCB general secretary Syed Ashraful Huq yesterday.

Talking to a group of local journalists, Ashraful said that it took more than a crore Taka to lay down the seven pitches and the new outfield at the Bangabandhu National Stadium under the supervision of South African curator Philip Russell.

"Four have already been dug while the other three will automatically be destroyed when the football season starts," said a dejected Ashraful.

"We have no prejudice about having the Bangabandhu National Stadium permanently. What we want is a permanent place for us for the development of the game. If the football federation thinks that football can not be played at the Mirpur stadium, we have no problem in having that stadium," Ashraful said.

When asked about all the adjustments they would require to make if Mirpur Stadium was given to cricket, which was specifically designed for football and athletics, Ashraful said that would not be a big problem for them.

"We have to extend the ground from east to west by about 20 yards, which will not be as big a problem as having to prepare the ground every season at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. "We can not hold the eighth Asia Cup next April because we can not have international standard strips ready within six months after getting back the stadium (Bangabandhu) from football. We have already informed the matter to the Asian Cricket Council," said Ashraful.

"The board president has already had an unofficial discussion with the minister about this and we are going to apply formally within a week," Ashraful added.

Apart from the stadium issue, Ashraful also conveyed that Enayet Hossain, a BCB member and the chairman of the Selection Committee, which was abolished by the BCB on April 8 at an emergency meeting at the BKSP, tendered his resignation at the meeting.

"The April 8 issue was also raised by a few members at the (Thursday) meeting, but the board president gave a ruling that the matter would be discussed at the next EC meeting after the World Cup," revealed Ashraful.

Source :: The Bangladesh Daily Star (https://www.dailystarnews.com)