BCCI chief-elect Sourav Ganguly said despite the uncertainties arising from an ongoing strike, he is confident of Bangladesh’s Indian tour will go ahead as per schedule.
The top cricketers of Bangladesh went on strike and released a list of 11 demands that they want the Bangladesh Cricket Board to fulfill before they return to the field. The team is scheduled to play from November 3 in India for three T20I and two Tests.
On Tuesday, Ganguly said, “It’s an internal matter, they will sort it out. No, no, they’ll come.” He added, “We [he and the BCB president Nazmul Hassan] speak every other day, but this [the strike] is not my job.”
Ahead of the second Test in Kolkata, Ganguly is hoping to invite Bangladesh’s prime minister Sheik Hasina, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, and West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee.
“We will write now to the Bangladesh board – Bangladesh’s first Test was with India, so we want to invite those players [who played the match]. And I will write, as the BCCI president as and when I get elected, to players of that team. The Indian players too. So we will do a felicitation when the game [day’s play] finishes,” Ganguly said.
Meanwhile, Mashrafe Mortaza is supporting the demands of the players. In a Facebook post, Mortaza said, “I have always been with cricketers and if I had known about their plan, I would have been with them. I have questioned myself why I wasn’t made aware. But it is more important than their 11-point demands are met. All of their demands are fair, and necessary for the betterment of cricket and cricketers.”
