BCB to participate in Triangular series:

[Abs]

Article from Bangladesh Daily Star:

Bangladesh will appear in a triangular one-day international series along with Asian giants India and Pakistan next week in Sharjah, UAE, to raise funds for the victims and distressed of India's recent earthquake.
The January 26 quake devastated the Indian state of Gujarat, with estimates of the final death toll ranging from 25,000 to 100,000.

The tournament will be held from February 8 to 11 under the auspices of Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF), informed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) general secretary Syed Ashraful Huq yesterday.

It will be a single league competition with teams with most points meeting in the final.

The unique decision was taken in an ACF's meeting in Lahore yesterday with former ICC president and ACF chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya in the chair.

"We have agreed to participate in the series as it is for a noble cause despite a tight and tiring domestic schedule that only finished yesterday (Wednesday). This is also good for cricket as far as the relationship between India and Pakistan is concerned as both teams will play against each other," Ashraful said.


He also confirmed that a 14-member Bangladesh squad will be named by the Board either on February 3 or 4. Three officials -- manager, coach and physio -- will accompany the team.


Bangladesh skipper Naimur Rahman, who is scheduled to take part in the Test captains' meeting in Melbourne on February 12, might miss the series as he will fly off to Australia on February 9.

Ashraful said that the board was yet to decide whether to include Naimur in the team for the Sharjah trip or free him so that he can attend the captains' meeting.


The schedule would be revealed by ACF on February 4 after receiving the official confirmation from all the three Boards.

"Pakistan and Bangladesh have already taken clearances from their respective governments. The Indian Board has sought permission from their government and hopefully they will get it since the event is being organised to help their people out," Ashraful, who is also an ACF official, added.

He also disclosed that ACF has already asked for bids from the television companies to sell the TV rights of the four-match tournament.

Meanwhile, BCB president Saber Hossain Chowdhury told BSS yesterday that Dalmiya and Pakistan Cricket Board president Lt Gen Tauqir Zia contacted him over telephone on Thursday and he had given his consent for the tournament.

"We feel proud to stand by the unfortunates of Gujrat's quake. BCB strongly supports such initiatives and will continue to do so in future," said Saber.

[mhnew]

Good gesture.

[Faisal_Aslam]

India decline/drop Pakistan lattest tour due to political reasons. So if they accept to play with Pakistan in Sharaja then it will be funny.

But it will be good to watch cricket though. But sad I can not watch that as have to get dish for it in USA ......

Faisal Aslam

[mhnew]

Its for ahumanitarian cause, so they would make an exception.

[Faisal_Aslam]

Dear Mhnew

They did decline today once again. So there is going to be no triangular series in Sharja.



Faisal Aslam

[mhnew]

If that's true they are just being stupid. This could have raised a lot of money.

Well, we can't do much if BJP is going to act stupid. Lets hope that the victims don't suffer any more.

[Abs]

Here's an official update

India's Sports Minister Uma Bharti on Saturday rejected a proposal to play cricket against Pakistan to raise funds for the devastating earthquake in Gujarat.
Cricket officials from the sub-continent had arranged a one-day series between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah next week to raise money for the survivors of the killer quake which has claimed an estimated 1,00,000 lives.

Bharti said she stood by the government's known stance not to have cricket ties with Pakistan, whom India accuses of fomenting violence in the troubled state of Kashmir.

"If they want to organise matches in aid of the Gujarat earthquake victims, they can do it in other ways in India itself," Bharti told the Press Trust of India in the southern city of Madurai.

"There is no need to play matches against Pakistan in Sharjah or anywhere in the world." Bharti welcomed the cricket officials' initiative to collect funds for the quake victims, but said there were better ways to do it.

"I am happy with the suggestion that 20 crore rupees (4.3 million dollars) can be raised through the Sharjah matches," she was quoted as saying. "But 200 crore rupees (43 million dollars) can be raised if our team plays matches with the film stars in the country."