Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would not be extending an invitation to any Pakistani player for the two T20 matches it is scheduled to host in March to mark the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, an official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was quoted as saying by NDTV on Thursday.
The Bangladeshi board is planning to stage the twin matches between Asia and World XI sides, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) having granted the fixtures official status.
The matches opened up the rare opportunity for Pakistani and Indian players to be seen on the field together. However, according to BCCI Joint Secretary Jayesh George, the BCB has assured their Indian counterparts that no Pakistani players will be invited.
"What we are aware of is that there will be no Pakistan players in the Asia XI. That is what the message is, so, there is no question of both countries coming together or picking one over the other. Sourav Ganguly will decide the five players who will be a part of the Asia XI," the BCCI official told Indo-Asian News Service.
Apart from BCCI’s repeated refusal to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan, the Bangladesh board, too, would have found it difficult to include Pakistani players in the centenary celebration of a Rahman — a man revered in Bangladesh but considered a controversial figure in Pakistani history.
The development comes after the Bangladeshi board's continued insistence that it would send its team to Pakistan for limited-overs series but not for Tests, which it says must be staged on neutral venue.
from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/34RcuiY
No comments:
Post a Comment