BCB's rebuttal (3 June 1999)

3 June 1999

BCB's rebuttal

Nizamuddin Ahmed

LONDON, June 2: Bangladesh Cricket Board general secretary Syed Ashraful Huq has thrown a wet towel on a BBC report that Bangladesh were looking to offer the coaching job to Pakistan's legendary batsman Javed Miandad.

BBC this morning quoted an unnamed BCB official who considered the Pakistani a 'shrewd' cricketer and said that Bangladesh would be happy if Miandad accepted the position. The BBC report said that a decision in this effect would be taken at a meeting next month.

Bangladesh axed their West Indian coach, Gordon Greenidge, from World Cup party on the eve of their match against Pakistan at Northampton last Monday because of his 'indifferent attitude' towards the team and his repeated absence in team practice.

The news made heavy headlines here because Bangladesh won against World Cup favourites Pakistan, their first ODI victory against a Test nation, without a coach. Many consider it a bold decision. As the Bangladesh World Cup team co-ordinator and BCB joint-secretary Dewan Shafiul Arefin said today, 'It is always easy to dismiss a coach after a match'.

Names are cropping up because the important post has just fallen vacant.

Also circulating is the figure of another Pakistan hero, Mudassar Nazar, perhaps because he was seen talking to high BCB officials at Northampton during the match against Pakistan.

Talking to this correspondent at his London pad this morning, Ashraful Huq denied point-blank that BCB was considering anybody at present as Bangladesh's new coach.

"I have not given it a serious thought because I have other things on my mind," he said.

When informed about BBC's speculation on Javed Miandad, the BCB general secretary said, 'I have not talked to Javed', concurring that if it were a BCB decision, as general secretary, he would have known.

Ashraful Huq explained that his priority current agenda remained seeking Test status for Bangladesh, the ICC meeting about which is on June 23-24 in London, and the ICC annual elections due at the same time. Both BCB president, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, and Ashraful Huq are seeking re-election to posts they have been holding for the past two years.

Saber is an Executive Board member and Ashraful is a Cricket Committee (Managem-ent) member.

Referring to the issue of the new coach, Ashraful further said, 'We would not like to rush and repeat the same (Gordon Greenidge) experience. Our season starts in October and we have plenty of time. We will make a careful selection to get the right person'.

The Bangladesh team meanwhile will arrive Dhaka by Biman at 9.15 am on June 4. They will leave London Gatwick tomorrow after what has been a successful tournament A rousing citizen's reception awaits the team at the Paltan Maidan on the same day. All the players and officials are travelling with the team.

The team left its Northa-mpton Swallow hotel this morning to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace. They will attend another reception hosted by the Bangladeshi community in England at White Chapel this afternoon. The team will lodge at Meridian Hotel, Gatwick, tonight.

Source :: The Daily Star