Corona Task Force of Corona-free Sri Lanka did not bulge an inch to relax 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement of Bangladesh Cricket team in Corona-free Sri Lanka on arrival in that country. Sri Lanka is one of the few countries that has kept itself almost free from COVID impact imposing and practicing intensive bio security protocol. Any foreign traveler entering that country has to oblige to Corona protocol. It is only logical that Corona task force did agree to Sri Lankan cricket board request to relax it for the visiting Bangladesh Cricket team. BCB sending a request to host 65 members Bangladesh contingent to that country did a huge mistake.
Why should a CORONA free country risk letting such a large group of travelers from a country still reeling under first wave of the COVID pandemic? How BCB thought that its request of relaxing the mandatory quarantine provision would be relaxed? Did England relax such provision for West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan or Australia? Did England relax that provision even for BCB President when he travelled there for treatment? The consequence of all these is that the Test series, a part of ICC World Test Championship is now under “Suspended Animation”. Bangladesh team does not have any slot to appear in any international match in 2020. With the second wave of CORONA knocking at the door it is uncertain whether Bangladesh can even prepare for series scheduled in early 2021. Bangladesh would remain the only test playing country not playing any international matches after march 2020. The ICC Test Ranking is now 10th among 12 members. By the end of the current championship cycle Bangladesh desperately requires reaching within top 8 to avoid playing in the second tier of test cricket. Bangladesh will also have to play in the qualifying rounds for the next T20 and ODI world cup. Things are looking really ominous for Bangladesh cricket.
It hurts all cricket admirers that BCB did not seem to be bothered at all since below per Bangladesh performance in the last ICC World Cup. Since then Bangladesh got white washed in ODI series in Sri Lanka, got humiliated against Pakistan and India and even got blown away in the lone test match against Test rookie Afghanistan at home. No post mortem was done by the Zamindars of Bangladesh Cricket. No short or long term plans were drawn for implementation for working out the best available test combination inducting some experienced longer version players and preparing them for test matches and other series. In the meantime, one BCB director got arrested for alleged Casino scam, another was interrogated by ACC for charges of illegal earnings, reports of allegations of corruption appeared in the media against another director.
BCB did not organize Annual General Meeting. Usually other boards organize a cricket night every year to honor the best performers and some veterans. BCB could not do that. Now with the test series suspended players will be deprived of any international matches. With CORONA situation predicted to be deteriorating with the advent of Winter we are not sure when cricket will be possible in Bangladesh.
In Conclusion we would say it was mismanagement and poor engagement by BCB that led to suspension of yet another bilateral series. BCB asked way too much which Srilankan authority justifiably regretted.
BDST: 1223 HRS, SEP 25, 2020
AP
