Cricket Binodon

Monday, April 6, 2015

Cricket spat shouldn’t hold India-Bangladesh ties to ransom

A huge spat between two cricket officials is threatening to adversely impact India-Bangladesh bilateral relations at a time when these are at their best. Bangladesh Planning Minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal has resigned as the International Cricket Council (ICC) president to protest against the country’s “humiliation” when he was denied the opportunity to present the World Cup 2015 to winners Australia at Melbourne.

Presenting the trophy to the winners is something ICC presidents have done since 1999 – until ICC chairman N. Srinivasan usurped the privilege in a hastily convened ICC executive on the day before the March 29 World Cup final. He got the ICC to seek a formal apology from Kamal for his outburst against “poor umpiring” during the India-Bangladesh quarterfinal. When Kamal refused, Srinivasan got the ICC executive to bar him from presenting the trophy and bestowed it upon himself to do the honours. Kamal has since returned to Bangladesh, resigned as ICC president, called Srinivasan a “mentally deranged man” and someone “impossible to work with” and even called the ICC the “Indian Cricket Council.”

It appears that Srinivasan, who had coldly dared Kamal to do anything he wants, is planning to hit back. His supporters are trying to force an emerg

ency meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), where they intend to get it to cancel the tour of Bangladesh in June 2015, during which Team India is expected to play two Tests and three ODIs.

Srinivasan supporters will argue that Kamal’s tirades can no longer be treated as a “personal issue” – Kamal says he is upset with Srinivasan and has nothing against the Indian board – as Srinivasan is the Indian board’s representative in the ICC.

But Srinivasan has large number of opponents in the BCCI who will stoutly oppose such plans, arguing that it is a personal issue and the BCCI cannot afford to create a diplomatic row. If they can’t stop Srinivasan from having his way, they will wish the cancellation of the Bangladesh tour will boil over into a major crisis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will be forced to intervene. If the BCCI cancels the tour, Kamal will surely get Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who too has lashed out at the “poor umpiring” and the “uncivilised behaviour” towards Kamal, to intervene.

India is beholden to Hasina for her crackdown against Islamist rebels and those from India’s northeast who were long sheltered in Bangladesh before she assumed power in January 2009. With her government allowing heavy equipment for power projects and grain consignments to go through Chittagong port to the northeastern state of Tripura, New Delhi feels it is payback time. Modi, who is keen to push for improved relations with all neighbours, plans to visit Bangladesh this summer after the Indian parliament clears the long-pending Land Boundary Agreement. He plans to land in Dhaka with the LBA done and at a time when he can possibly promise a Teesta water-sharing agreement soon enough. Indian diplomats in Dhaka have made it clear Modi should not come empty-handed.

So, the last thing that Modi and his foreign policy team can accept is the BCCI calling off the tour, especially when Pakistan is also sending its cricket team on a tour of Bangladesh this summer. It may be a much better idea for Modi’s foreign policy managers to step in before the crisis explodes in the open. And, Indian interests cannot be held hostage by someone like Srinivasan, who has been barred from contesting BCCI elections by the Supreme Court but has managed to get the board to nominate him as India’s representative at the ICC and then become its all-powerful chairman.

Kamal’s outburst on umpiring may be an immature act. It may well be that Kamal is trying to shore up public support for his beleaguered Awami League back home by playing on nationalist sentiments at a time when it is desperately trying to counter the BNP-led transport blockade and strikes. But, Rohit Sharma was out by all means and Rubel Hossain’s ball was surely not above the waist! It’s anybody’s guess as to what would have happened if he had walked back at 90 and not when he had made that wonderful century – or if the in-form Mahmudullah Riyad had not been given out to the controversial Shikhar Dhawan catch in the deep. But at the end of the day, cricket is just a sport, and should we say much-tainted sport, with all its match-fixing and IPL scams. And there is no good reason to hold India’s relations with a friendly neighbour hostage for a controversial cricket administrator who has not exactly covered the nation with glory over the years.

bdnews24.com

Friday, April 3, 2015

Kolkata's ‘Telegraph’ appreciates Mustafa Kamal for challenging Srinivasan

Eastern India's leading English newspaper 'Telegraph' has lauded ICC president and Bangladesh minister AHM Mustafa Kamal for taking on ICC Chairman N Srinivasan.

"Even if it is Bangladesh, somebody has shown the guts to try and take on Srinivasan. He could not seek a second term as BCCI president in India, yet continues to chair the ICC," reads a 'Telegraph' report.

It said: "Many find it extremely odd, and one is putting it mildly, that someone who cannot be the president of his national board remains the top gun in the ICC."

AHM Mustafa Kamal

The 'Telegraph' report said that Kamal will personally brief Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about how he was denied the opportunity to present the World Cup to the winners by Srinivasan.

It said he will be accompanied by Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan, when he briefs the PM.

"The issue has gone beyond that of an individual, thanks to the authoritarian attitude of ICC Chairman Narayanswamy Srinivasan, and is now all about humiliation of Bangladesh," the 'Telegraph' report said.

Since 1999, ICC presidents, rather than the chairpersons, have presented the World Cup to the winners at the presentation ceremony.

N Srinivasan

But Srinivasan outwitted Kamal in a meeting on the day before the World Cup finals and used Kamal's outbursts against umpiring during the India-Bangladesh quarter-finals as an excuse to deny the Bangladesh minister the honours.

That has caused much furore even in India as Srinivasan is not very popular in the country outside his home state Tamil Nadu.

Those who oppose Srinivasan in Indian cricket politics —and the number is not small and includes West Bengal cricket heavyweight Jagmohan Dalmiya—may now look to attack the ICC chairman on grounds that his senseless action is jeopardising India-Bangladesh relations.

Dalmiya, a former ICC top gun, is friendly with cricket administrators in Bangladesh.

From bdnew24.com

Indian board to meet on Bangladesh tour

A top official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said AHM Mustafa Kamal's tirade against Narayanaswami Srinivasan is perhaps forcing the Indian board to meet and discuss the situation.

On condition of anonymity, he said Srinivasan's supporters in the BCCI are trying to force the emergency meeting.

"They may try to push BCCI to cancel the June tour of Bangladesh because Srinivasan is BCCI's representative in ICC and Kamal's tirade against him, they may argue, is now a national issue," he said.

"But Srinivasan has large number of opponents in the BCCI who will stoutly oppose such plans, arguing that Kamal's tirade against Srinivasan is a personal issue and BCCI cannot afford to create a diplomatic row," the BCCI official said.

He said that if BCCI cancelled the tour of Bangladesh, Kamal will surely get his government to take up the issue with Delhi.

The Modi government surely will not like to cancel the cricket tour for fear of adverse impact on bilateral relations at a time when they are at their best.

"Some of Srinivasan's opponents may actually like the BCCI to do something silly so that the issue boils over and the Modi government comes down hard on the BCCI and forces it to oust Srinivasan," said another BCCI official, again on condition of anonymity.

Some ministers of Modi government are connected to BCCI and none of them belong to the Srinivasan camp. His opponents are trying to rope in these ministers and get him out of BCCI.

Kamal has made it clear in a Dhaka press conference that his fight is against Srinivasan and not against the Indian board.

After all, India played a major role in getting Bangladesh its Test playing status, so it would be indeed ironic if it were to cancel its June 2015 tour of Bangladesh, when two Tests and three ODI matches are likely to be played.

Kamal has described Srinivasan as "mentally deranged" and upset pro-Srinivasan supporters want to cancel the Bangladesh trip to seek revenge.

But anti-Srinivasan supporters in BCCI say that India can ill afford to cancel its tour of Bangladesh when Pakistan have finalised its summer tour of Bangladesh.

Foreign policy analysts here say this will become a huge diplomatic issue if that happens.

They say the Modi government will be very upset with the BCCI if they cancelled their tour at a time when Modi himself is planning to visit Dhaka this summer after the parliament clears the land boundary agreement and his government inches closer to a possible deal on Teesta water sharing.

Srinivasan's opponents in BCCI say it is time the board got rid of a man, barred by India's Supreme Court from contesting BCCI polls again, from representing India in ICC.

"He is a national disaster," said one Bengal cricket official who has represented the state board in BCCI for years.

But BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya has refused any comment, saying he first needs to discuss the whole situation and all issues involved with his board members.

From bdnews24.com

Our best chance to beat Pakistan in ODIs - Shakib

Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan believes his side should start as favourites in the ODI series against Pakistan later this month, and said it was their best chance to beat the side on home soil.

Shakib, who left for Kolkata on Thursday, will be playing the first two games of IPL 2015 for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders before returning home to play against Pakistan. Pakistan are likely to arrive in mid-April with a new-look side, without the retired Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi.

"I will start training from tomorrow," Shakib said. "I will only play two matches in the IPL so the Pakistan series will be on my mind. If I do well in the two matches, that confidence will work in my favour.

"I think we should be starting as favourites to win the ODI series against Pakistan. I think this is our best chance to win against Pakistan. Everyone in the team believes so, too. We have proved that we can beat any team at home. If we play our best cricket, we can do well against any side. We beat New Zealand seven times, and they are the World Cup runners-up."

Bangladesh have won only one in 32 games against Pakistan, with the sole victory coming in the 1999 World Cup. The teams have played two bilateral ODI series in Bangladesh previously, apart from a single game in 1999, with Pakistan winning all the matches. The forthcoming tour, involving two Tests, three ODIs and a T20, has had its share of controversies with an impasse between the concerned boards over revenue-sharing.

According to Shakib, 2015 will be a critical year for Bangladesh's ODI prospects, especially with a 10-team World Cup looming on the horizon. Bangladesh are currently ranked ninth with 76 points, after gaining only one point following the World Cup. They are scheduled to take on Pakistan, India, South Africa and Australia this year.

"It is a very important year for us since it will be a 10-team World Cup next time. We need to go up the rankings," he said. "If we can win against higher-ranked sides, we will get more points.

"Ultimately we have to stay within the top eight to play in the World Cup. We have been around No 9 and 10 for a long time. We got up to No 8 for a brief period, but now we have to get to that level and stay there."

Shakib also felt his performance in the World Cup could have been better as the tournament wore on, after he made two fifties in the first three games but only totaled 35 runs in his last three innings. He also took eight wickets at an average of 37.25, giving away runs at 5.16 per over (compared to an overall rate of 4.30).

He was impressed with the Bangladesh newcomers and urged them to keep performing rather than learning at the highest level.

"There is no end to performing better. I think I did well in the World Cup. If I could have ended the tournament like I had started, it obviously would have been better," Shakib said. "Still, I don't think I should be disappointed about the numbers next to my name in this World Cup.

"I thought the new players did well. The team performed, which is the most important thing. Soumya, Sabbir and Taskin played well. The senior players were also up to the mark. The team is in good shape. The young players have to perform, not to be taught."

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Mustafa Kamal resigns as ICC president after World Cup final ceremony snub

Kamal said his decision to resign as ICC president was 'final' and 'not negotiable' in a press conference in Dhaka organised just after he returned from Australia on Wednesday.

Kamal said he was stepping down in protest against the 'flagrant violation' of the ICC constitution. His term was to end this June.

He also said according to clause 3.3 of the ICC constitution, only the president has the right to hand the trophy to the winners of a match like the World Cup final.

“I was supposed to present the trophy to the winners after the Melbourne final on Mar 29. But I couldn’t do that.”

Kamal claimed he was not allowed to present the trophy to the captain of winning team in the final as an issue was made of some of his comments after the Bangladesh-India quarterfinal match.

“From here on, I will speak as the former president of the ICC,” he said after announcing his resignation.

“It is not possible to work with those who will violate the constitution. I want to let the people of the world know this,” he added.

Kamal was critical of the ‘controversial’ umpiring decisions in the Bangladesh-India match at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

He had called the ICC as ‘Indian Cricket Council’ and said he would step down as president, if needed, after the match.

In response, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson, in a statement issued the following day, hit back at Kamal for his comments and said the remarks were ‘very unfortunate’.

Then a massive spat erupted between Kamal and ICC Chairman N Srinivasan, who violated ICC practice and presented the World Cup to winners Australia at Melbourne last Sunday.

Normally, ICC presidents do the honours, but Srinivasan used Kamal's outburst against poor umpiring in the India-Bangladesh match and got others to support his decision to present the trophy at the presentation ceremony.

Kamal was not on the dais during the ceremony and Srinivasan was booed heavily by sections of the 93,000 strong crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

He had earlier threatened to reveal some of ICC's 'dark secrets' after the spat.
from bdnews24.com

Thursday, March 19, 2015

NEWS

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

ICC determined to make 10-team World Cup in 2019

Since the day ICC revealed their wish for curtailing the number of teams participating from 14 to 10 in World Cup, there has been loads of criticism over the issue. Some cricket legends even termed this as a ‘backward step’ on the way to globalizing the game and ‘unfair move’ for the associate nations.

The performance of the associate nations during the World Cup was also quite impressive which was supposed to affect on ICC’s stepping aside from this controversial decision. But the head of the International Cricket Council, Mr. Dave Richardson informed on Thursday that the world governing body is unlikely to change its plans to reduce the number of teams at the next World Cup despite being impressed by the performances of the associate nations during the current tournament.

“I still would like to keep that debate for another day,” said Richardson, a former South Africa test wicketkeeper. “I think the board will discuss that at their meetings in April. The decision has been made, as we stand it’s a 10-team tournament at the next World Cup.

“To me the debate should be more about what are we doing for Associate member cricket to enable them to qualify for a World Cup, whether it’s an eight-team, 10-team, 12-team 14 or 16-team. I think that’s where we’ve made the most progress,” Richardson told reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the World Cup semi-final between Australia and India.”

Mr. Richardson said that they even had suggestions for applying the new strategy from this very World Cup which is currently being held in Australia and New Zealand and will sign off this weekend when the co-hosts will set horns between themselves in the grand finale of the tournament at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground

“There was even a suggestion we should have moved to a 10 team event for this tournament. The reason we didn’t is because at that stage we had a glass ceiling.

“You could be Ireland or Afghanistan and you could get to number 11 in the world, you couldn’t get to number ten and you could never really qualify.

“So now we’ve changed that, we’ve allowed Ireland and Afghanistan the opportunity to play in the ODI (one-day international) FTP (Future Tours Programme) — sure the challenge is going to be be finding them enough fixtures and that’s a real focus we are going to be worrying about over the next couple of years so it’s not just in name that they are part of that FTP, that they really have the fixtures,” the former South Africa wicket-keeper added.

“I don’t think it’s the end of the world (going to 10 teams), especially now we’ve broken that glass ceiling for the Associates.

“We want the World Cup to not just be a window-dressing but a shop window for cricket at the highest level. Maybe only 10 (teams) initially, but the idea is to grow it.”

Richardson said the ICC still had ambitions of spreading the game to new frontiers, such as the United States but the priority for now was consolidating their existing teams.

“Now we realise, let’s not spread ourselves our too thin, we’ve got full member countries, Zimbabwe being one, West Indies maybe, where we’ve got to be careful that they don’t fall off the ship,” he said.

“USA, as an example, is a country that has enormous potential. It has more players playing cricket in the USA than Zimbabwe and I.think very close to the number playing in New Zealand. If UAE can qualify for the World Cup then there’s no reason why USA shouldn’t. So that’s going to be a focus for us in the next few years.”

Mr. Richardson was also questioned introducing the fact that the current on field cricket rules are not seemingly helpful at all for the bowlers and are entirely in favour of the batsmen, so if ICC have any plan regarding this criteria to bring out something new which could do some favour for the poor bowlers as well. Then he shared some of their plans on considering new rules for bowlers in ODIs.

“In the old days you had one area you couldn’t defend, now there’s two and if a good batsmen is set as a bowler you’ve got very little.prize (for the bowlers),” Richardson said.

“One of the things we might look at is allowing an extra fielder out of the ring in the last 10 overs, remember we were worried about.that middle period of the game that became boring where someone would score a run a ball 50 but no one remembering one shot.

“We’ll try and keep that and make sure we don’t get back to that but maybe in the last 10 overs when people are not going to stop slogging or trying to hit boundaries just because one extra fielder is out. That might be a sensible change.”