Smart Move by BCB

[Tehsin]

BCB's coming programme



Sports Reporter


The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) revealed its calendar for the 2002-03 season yesterday.
The feature of the domestic calendar, which starts on October 1, is the introduction of a three-day competition involving six top-flight clubs from Dhaka.


"For a long time now we were keen to involve the best teams from the capital in a longer-version format," said BCB director and secretary of the Cricket Committee Mahmud Ul Haq while talking to journalists at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

He said that Victoria SC, Mohammedan SC, Abahani KC, Bangladesh Biman, Kalabagan and Young Pegasus would take part in the month-long tournament along with a provincial team either from India or Pakistan.


Another innovation by the Board sees the holding of a three-match Challenge Trophy over November 1-15. Each of the four-day matches will be contested between Bangladesh national and A teams before the home series against West Indies from November 26 to December 30. The Board has planned so to try out new players.

Following the Challenge Trophy, the National League starts on November 15 and runs until January 20, 2003.

The inter-club transfer for the GrammenPhone Premier League commences on January 10 while the league has been planned for sometime between January 25 to March 15.


After a break of nearly four years, the National Championship will return in March. It contains all the 64 districts of the country.


Besides, the BCB is going to hold a series of age-group tournaments during the entire season.


Bangladesh's overseas season begins with the tour of Sri Lanka next month and ends with a historic tour of Australia next July.


They will play two Tests and a couple of one-dayers down under.


Also Bangladesh are due to return to Sri Lanka for the ICC Champions Trophy in September. From island nation they head off for South Africa to play two Tests and three ODIs from September 27 to October 29.. After hosting West Indies, the Test babes tour Namibia for 15 days in January, 2003 as part of their build-up for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. The month-long carnival kicks-off on February 1.


At home BCB will be hosting a tri-nation tournament in the capital from April 1 to 15.

South Africa have agreed to play in the meet before their away series against Bangladesh. However, the third team is yet to be confirmed so far.