Good for Cricket
We are delighted at the news of return of the nine-nation cricket meet to Bangladesh. It is no longer Sharjah. It was mooted to be Dhaka. And it is Dhaka.
Although a sponsorship wrangle has reportedly led to the last minute change of venue , Dhaka has no reason to feel it has won the race for venue by default. For sheer financial potential Dhaka Stadium is ahead of most cricket arenas in the world, let alone Sharjah where cricket as a culture is still struggling to strike roots.
But how a tournament that is not destined to see local participation will serve the cause of the game in this country? It will. And it will in more ways than one. The assembly of the nine Test playing nations will have a ripple effect of its own. Bangladesh's arrival on the world cricket map ,if only as a host of a truly international and participatory meet will be trumpetted ,as has been never before. Dhaka will be the centre of attraction for cricket authorities, cricket lovers and the businessmen around the globe. In fact, if all goes well, the impact of the cricket fest from October 26 to November 4 would be magical.
Apart from projecting Bangladesh as a viable and lucrative centre for such tourneys in future, the meet is likely to play magic in setting the stage for an avalanche of cricketing talents. But the meet would be a mere mercantile exercise if the Bangladesh Cricket Board gets too much hooked on the business aspect of the game and fails to address the requirements for the development of the game in this country. Because unlike more established nations, more precisely those who have the test status with an well entrenched image in the game we have not got anywhere yet.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments