Silence is not always golden (12 November 1998)

12 November 1998

Silence is not always golden

By Nizamuddin Ahmed

The effect of the big top has been so immense that in my urge to 'win friends' at the BCB so that Bangladesh has a fairer deal in future ICC-brokered international meets, yesterday I involuntarily credited Dale Carnegie for cricket's leisurely dilly-dallying. My apologies to the legendary Neville Cardus, who despite such mortal blunders must still be happily perched on the best seat there is. Or there ever will be.

Seated much below cricket's most famous scribe, I hardly needed to crane my neck to notice a Bengali daily's most ludicrous claim that one and a half crore Taka was spent to prepare the pitches for the Wills International Cup. Ha! Ha! Ha! If, however, by a coincidence of foolish NSC and BCB nods, the figure is correct by even a difference of 22 yards, I leave it up to the beneficiaries of such financial jugglery to do the laughing.

Those who have been hit by a bouncer and are in need of a calculator, I can volunteer. How much do you reckon would it have cost, if it was absolutely necessary, to send a couple of our groundsmen to more reputed international venues and learn a trick or two about preparing cricket pitches? There is hardly one more celebrated than Eden Gardens and that by generous estimate would have cost...click... click... Even the calculator refuses to admit such low figures saying, 'Use your brains, you sucker!'

Anyway, I am certain that even without the clamour from the press corps, the BCB would tomorrow or day after reveal the figures; that which has been earned and how that has been disbursed, that which has been consumed (no pun intended) and under which head (again no pun intended). From observing the noisy but cultured cricket crowd at Bangabandhu, BCB more than anyone else must understand that silence does not pay.

For cricket's sake, I pray it is only a rumour that the National Parliament has 'asked for the books of account'. But, I always believe that there is no smoke without fire, even in the case of Wills without the cigarette being mentioned.

BCB also chooses to remain silent, for the moment only I hope, on their deal with Dhaka Club and Uttara Club, who we know were given a bulk of the Wills tickets in preference to local cricket clubs, which are the lifeline of the Board. What prompted the BCB to give away tickets to social clubs, who have nothing to do with cricket directly, while ignoring those that provide not only cricketers but also cricket officials is beyond my boundary. Yes! Of course, any cricket club in Dhaka or Chittagong or Rangpur or ... would have been willing to pay whatever members of those two clubs paid. Any dispute with the local sporting clubs, and each has enough money, muscle and mentality to woo the powers that be, may rock the Board for good. Now that will be a high price to pay after such a successful tournament.

The BCB is under a lot of pressure. By all means this was a big tournament. Big names, big commentators, big umpires, big guests ... There was a lot of hard work. Volunteers have spent many a sleepless night at the BCB office and the stadium to put everything in order, to present Bangladesh befittingly to the world. And they have. Much of the efforts of the BCB has done us proud. But, then this is the thanklessness of a public body. Do a good job and everyone remains silent. Make a flaw or indicate one, and everyone is after your butt. There are several queries. BCB would best serve the interest of Bangladesh cricket and them if they came out with the answers. I for one have no doubt that they have extremely credible ones.

More than ever before, the BCB should today understand that it is an elected body. It is privileged to represent the people of Bangladesh and look after their cricket. It is answerable to the people and the parliament. It must explain word for word what transpired between it and others, local and international. Whatever the circumstances, it cannot choose to remain silent. The tide of the people does not succumb to time. If the people want answers, and there are plenty of queries, they will have them. Even if it takes 23 years.

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