What is cooking in BCB Kitchen?

With all important ICC World Cup 2015 at down under knocking at the door genuine cricket admirers have started raising concerns about sincerity and commitment of BCB officials. From various issues and developments in domestic cricket there are genuine reasons to apprehend that a group of self-seeking cricket officials in BCB are acting as mafia syndicate for sucking honey from our cricket business .National interest is being compromised for narrow club interest, players and clubs are targeted through deliberately poor umpiring, key players are being risked unnecessarily instead of protecting them.  There are genuine reasons to question the sincerity and commitment of a section of BCB officails.

A few days before even BCB President talked of a “Cricket Mafia Syndicate “without mentioning any name .He stated of his resolve of freeing cricket from their grip . Who are there in this syndicate? Are they more powerful than BCB President?  All knows that Present BCB president being an Elected MP in the parliament from the ruling party and having strong links with premiere leadership is the most powerful person of Bangladesh Cricket .If he has identified Mafia Syndicate he must clean Bangladesh Cricket free of them.

Few weeks back one controversial cricket officails in very aggressive manner brought out some major issues .He has been disciplined but nothing has been done to prove or disprove his allegations. Many cricket admirers believe that the local cricket is dominated by the above identified syndicate. There are allegations that some matches are carefully manipulated, some teams and players are particularly target and some are favored. Two key players who can be extremely useful in Australia New Zealand Conditions Taskin Ahmed and Jubair Hossain are left to the free will of their club officails. Speedster Taskin was risked with unnecessary West Bengal tour and after his injury was rested throughout the Zimbabwe tour .But he is being risked in non-important local matches. Teenage Leggie who according to many can be Tigers Tramp Card in World Cup is languishing in the sideline. In the name of lack of experience Jubair may be overlooked many are apprehending. Words are going round that some others are being protected through wilful umpiring errors.

World Cup Cricket held after four yearsis highest level of International Competitiveness .Nothing can be more important than the event. Local cricket must not get higher priority than World Cup engagement. BCB must care for the probable players. Taskin bowling at 140 kmh + has greater possibility of success .But his fitness is the key. Jubair bowling leg spin with a lovely loop has reasonable chances of success. He must be in the team .He should have enough match practice. Fringe players in the team probable must get fair opportunities to prove their worth. Whatever is going on in domestic circuit is not good for Bangladesh Cricket. BCB must check its kitchen to cook food with good spices – no formalin please.

Bangladesh plays the hosts Australia and New Zealand at Brisbane and Hamilton. Both are in chilly hot form. Bangladesh may not have much opportunities against them .The other two ICC full member teams Sri Lanka at MCG and England at Adelaide Oval may be difficult cookies for Bangladesh. Even two ICC associates Afghanistan and Hong Kong may not be mere push overs .They have good feelings of ground conditions in down under. Bangladesh has real challenge at hand. We must take the best preparation picking the horses for the courses .But various controversies and confusions prevailing in domestic cricket are not issuing good signals. Tigers advancing into second stage of the tournament will be great news for Bangladesh Cricket .For that to happen Bangladesh has to get over Afghanistan and Scotland and win at least two of the four other matches. This may be extremely extremely difficult but not impossible. The team has to select purely on merit and managed well. The team chemistry and environment must be healthy. We hope BCB top brasses must look into issues creating concerns and get over these soon.

Given the fitness issues priority we suggest the following team for ICC World Cup

Tamim Iqbal ,Anamul Huq , Mominul Haque ,Mushfiqur Rahim , Sakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad , Shabbir Rahman , Nasir Hussain , Mashrafee bin Mortaza ,Taskin Ahmed , Rubel Hossain, Al Amin Hossain, Jubair Hossain, Naeem Islam  and Taijul Islam.

There are some concerns about fitness of Tamim Iqbal .He is in Melbourne already for Dr Young to check him. We are also not aware of fitness of Taskin Ahmed. The team of 15 must have 9 batsmen including two all-rounders, four genuine pacers and two spinners. Against Afghanistan, Scotland, Engalnd and New Zealand three spinners including Sakib will be useful. But against Sri Lanka, Australia Bangladesh should play three pacers and Jubair. Nasir, Mahamudullah, Shabbir or Naeem can always share 10 overs if two of them are selected in a match.

Focusing the radar back on the developments in domestic cricket BCB must act quickly to dig deep into recent incidents of domestic cricket. Cancer must not be let grow and take dangerous proportion. Sharks and hyenas are out there to gag our cricket future we apprehend.