Bangladesh: Stop the sixty-threes (28 September 1998)

28 September 1998

Stop the sixty-threes

By Aziz Amirul

It is an irony that the worst disaster in our cricketing history has hit just when we are preparing to hold a mini World Cup, so far the most prestigious tournament to be held in this country and also preparing ourselves to take part in next year's World Cup in England. The ICC has selected Dhaka as the venue for the mini World Cup ahead of Sharjah not only because of our organising strength but definitely thinking Bangladesh as a future force in international arena thus giving our players and officials a great opportunity to come in close contact with almost all the finest cricketers of the world, an effort to boost our country's cricket. But sadly our best cricketers have failed to keep up to the hopes of the bosses of world cricket and our rising reputation has been devastated with the foreboding Kuala Lumpur tour.

Now winning seems to be a "golden deer" for us in international cricket. If we fail to draw up new challenging policies immediately for the welfare of the game then we are sure to be in deep waters, may be lose cricket forever. Local clubs are bringing in expensive test players every year for lifting different titles but unfortunately the local lads are not improving with the association of these great players. The Cricket Board as well as the clubs have many things to do. They can easily pull our cricket back on its track. A Special Fund can be opened by the Board where each year, instead of bringing foreign recruits and losing valuable foreign currency, all the clubs can donate a specific amount of money for the development of the infrastructure of cricket in Bangladesh.

Starting from the grass-root level in remote towns and villages the Board can pick up thousands of talented potentials. Keeping these newly discovered future prodigies in special camps run by foreign and local coaches throughout the year the Board can shape up at least a few international standard players every year and these youngsters can then be transferred to different clubs who had donated earlier to this special fund. For the clubs, too this can be a bright long-term investment. A National League involving the best clubs of all the districts can help a lot but that would only be possible if the venues in different districts can be upgraded along with strong organising capacity.

Condition of grounds should be improved. Recently a photograph of Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium was published in The Daily Star and it was something to watch - replica of a paddy field, one of the few practice grounds for the national team! All the pitches available in Dhaka should be gradually turned into world-class ones. Several pitch experts from different continents can be brought in to prepare varieties of pitches, a few like the ones in the sub-continent while other pitches may be made bouncy and fast like in Australia, New Zealand and some pitches of the Caribbean and English type. Astro-turf should never be used and time has come for the ICC to ban astro-turf pitches in all its member countries.

Success is bound to come in international level if our players and officials can perform freely at their respective branches without any 'interference' or "special interest" which are clearly reigning and thus bringing downfall to local cricket at the moment. Forgetting all sorts of colour, whether political or club-based and putting sincere efforts by all related with the game in this country are sure to bring fresh laurel and reinstate our position, beginning a new journey.

Our players must once again remember that technically still we are the best among the ICC associate members and are desperate to remain the same by exhibiting our full potentials in the coming World Cup.

An earnest request to all who are associated with Bangladesh cricket: "Execute your respective duties in the Kings' Game like a King to stop more sixty-threes, thus the critics' mouth and help flourish cricket at its best."

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