BCB rules out pink ball Test with Pakistan in Karachi
SPORTS REPORTER, Dhaka
Bangladesh will not play day-night (pink-ball) Test against Pakistan in the third phase in April, said Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.
Chowdhury also said a proposal from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been given to them to consider but their players are reluctant to play pink-ball once again having bitter experience from day-night Kolkata Test.
Bangladesh stepped into the era of day-night (pink-ball) Test when they toured in India in November last year and played the two-Test series, the second and last of it was the day-night Test held at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Seeing that Test in India, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have also proposed Bangladesh Cricket Team (BCB) to make the Karachi Test a day-night Test. But the BCB cancelled out the PCBs proposal that BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury confirmed yesterday.
Bangladesh are scheduled to tour Pakistan in three phases. The initial two phases have meanwhile been finished. They will next travel to Pakistan for their third and last phase, while they will play the second and last Test of the two-Test series along with a one-off ODI. Both matches will be held in Karachi.
Many things are discussed in a meeting. During a gap of the discussion, the proposal from the BCB has been given to us to play a day-night affair in Karachi, said Nizamuddin Chowdhury.
But we did not agree with them. Our team management are reluctant to play the day-night Test. So, we didnt agree with their proposal, Chowdhury told the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
The game is held under the lights with a pink ball. Bangladesh players fell into trouble playing the day-night Test for the first time against Indian in Kolkata in November last year. From that bitter experience, the Bangladesh players are reluctant to play the pink-ball Test.
But the PCB is yet to drop their hopes of playing day-night Test. Its learnt from the international media, who quoted PCB CEO Wasim Khan.
Weve proposed Bangladesh to organise the Karachi Test with pink ball. We hope they will consider our proposal because world cricket is now going but on this way. Different countries propose us to play Tests with pink balls. Actually its a demand of the time. People have an enormous interest to see the Test under the lights with a pink ball, Wasim Khan said.
