BCB to compensate PCB for postponing tours

The Bangladesh Cricket Board will pay compensation to the Pakistan Cricket Board for postponing two tours to Pakistan in 2012, according to BCB president Nazmul Hassan. The announcement comes after a three-month impasse between the two boards, after the PCB set conditions for their upcoming tour to Bangladesh.

Since the start of the year, the two boards have made claims and counter-claims on whether the tour is a home series for Pakistan or Bangladesh. In March, the Pakistan government cleared the tour.

Hassan, in a press conference at his residence on Friday, said that the BCB wants to end the matter by paying Pakistan their due for missing the two tours. He said the amount could be between $100,000 and $300,000.

"We have no more conditions with them [PCB]," Hassan said. "They first demanded 50% revenue and then said this is their home series. I told them this is our home series. They kept repeating that we [Bangladesh] didn't tour Pakistan. I replied that I don't like listening to this in every meeting.

"ICC has a rule for teams that don't tour a country after agreeing to it. I asked them to let us know how much we are supposed to pay for that tour. It could be between $100,000 to $300,000. Whether they use it for plane fare or not, is their concern. We will make the one-time payment for missing that tour."

In January, the PCB had demanded 50% of the tour revenue in addition to tours by the Under-19 and A teams. The BCB had responded and said the conditions laid down by the PCB were "not realistic" but later said that they could pay tour costs.

BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that the board will decide on the amount in the next few days.

"We had few outstanding issues with Pakistan during the last FTP cycle,' Chowdhury told the Dhaka-based New Age. "Based on that, we agreed to pay the compensation and the amount will be decided in a day or two. The upcoming series will be our home series and standard practice will be maintained for it."

Pakistan are expected to arrive on April 13 though the schedule for the tour had not been announced until April 3.