Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has donated Tk 1,30,000 (one lac thirty thousand) in two instalments for the treatment of Rakibul Islam, the Under-15 national team’s injured captain.

Rakibul, who captained the squad that finished 3rd at the SAFF Under-15 Championship 2019 in India, was seriously injured during a practice session at the Fortis Football Academy in the capital last December.

As a young up-and-coming footballer already part of the national setup, and having suffered the injury while playing football, some may have expected BFF to come forward and cover his costs as a straightforward thing. But they had to be persuaded.

Following an appeal by him and his family, the BFF donated Tk 30,000 (thirty thousand) earlier in the first installment and handed over another amount of Tk 1,00,000 (one lac) today (Monday) in the 2nd installment as financial assistance.

Rakibul, a young talent from Satkhira district expressed his gratitude while coach of Bangladesh U-15 team Mostafa Anwar Parvez congratulated BFF for the financial support.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hasan said the series against Sri Lanka for three Tests is not possible if the hosts do not allow Bangladesh a shorter quarantine period and other facilities that have been sought earlier.

As per the Sri Lankan government’s regulation, everyone who enters the island nation is required a 14-day strict quarantine, but BCB agreed only for a seven-day quarantine. During quarantine, every member of the Bangladesh team and coaching staff will need to undergo Covid-19 Test thrice, and they only get permission to use practice facilities if they test negative.

“The terms and conditions Sri Lanka sent us are not possible to follow. So we think this series is not possible considering the current circumstances. We’re set to tell them our stance,” Nazmul told the media after a meeting at the BCB headquarters in Mirpur.

“What we’ve thought earlier is very different from the current scenario. And we think their arrangements are different from other countries who have already started playing international cricket,” the BCB chief said.

In other countries, a foreign team can start practice after a seven-day strict quarantine. But Sri Lanka proposed Bangladesh 14-day quarantine when every member of the team should stay at their hotel rooms.

“This is not a boys’ game, this is part of ICC World Test Championship. So we are unable to understand what they really want to say,” Nazmul said.

BCB has a plan to send High-performance Unit (HP) to Sri Lanka with the national team so that they can play practice game among them. Sri Lanka Cricket agreed to this. But the health department of the island nation cleared that they will not allow as many members with Bangladesh team.

Nazmul said: “We thought that Sri Lanka is safer than Bangladesh in terms of Covid-19 situation. So we planned to send our national team days earlier so that they can have a longer practice camp. But the current situation is so different. We don’t know the main reason behind this.

“They may have a dangerous Covid-19 situation but we don’t know. But they are hosting domestic cricket. So the real reason seems to be something else. We wanted to host our initial camp in Dambulla which is an isolated area.

“Despite that, they did not agree to a shorter quarantine period. I think this is a surprising move by Sri Lanka.”

This series was originally scheduled for July-August, but due to the outbreak of the virus, it was later rescheduled for October-November. It is part of the ongoing World Test Championship. Bangladesh have already played three Tests of this event and lost all of them.

Also read: Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test series in jeopardy

BCB is now planning to host domestic cricket. Nazmul said the BCB is working to bring cricket back to the field.

“We don’t know if we can manage an international team to play in Bangladesh. But we are very hopeful of bringing the game back in the field. We may start domestic cricket soon,” he said.

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz says the long hiatus forced by Covid-19 has taken the accuracy away from his bowling. The all-rounder also said he is working hard to get his old zeal back ahead of the Sri Lanka tour for a three-match Test series starting from October 24.

Mehidy last appeared in a competitive cricket match back in March this year in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. Just after a single round of the league, Covid-19 has hit the country, and as a result, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to halt the league indefinitely.

“I have started bowling in Mirpur after a long gap of five-six months. It feels really good to get the opportunity to start bowling, but I’m feeling a little comfortable because of my bowling what has lost its way. I am unable to control the ball the way I used to do. I think it’ll take some times to get the shape back,” Mehidy told the media after his Sunday’s practice at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

All the cricketing activities were on hold after March 16 due to the outbreak of the deadly virus. However, a few cricketers started an individual training programme set off by BCB before Eid-ul-Adha, which is still going on. Mehidy is one of the regular players who join the programme.

“Before coming to Dhaka, I practised in Khulna. It’ll take some times to get my natural bowling back. I’m trying my best so that I can do it faster. I have talked to our spin bowling coach Daniel Vettori. He gave me some tips on what I am trying to follow,” Mehidy added.

Till the date, Mehidy represented Bangladesh in 22 Tests, 41 ODIs and 13 T20Is bagging 90, 40 and four wickets respectively. He is more successful at home than abroad. He scalped 61 wickets in his 11 Tests played in the home while he took 29 wickets in his other 11 Tests held abroad.

“Challenge of a spinner is bigger when he plays abroad. Especially, I have to face more challenge when I play away Tests. To succeed abroad, I have to bowl constantly keeping the line and length right. It’s rare to get help from the wicket in a foreign land. I think the wickets of Asia are more helpful for spinners than the other countries. I’m trying to sort out a way how I can do better in the away Tests,” Mehidy further told the media.

Players of Bangladesh team are currently gearing up for Sri Lanka series comprising three Tests. Right after BCB announces the team for this tour, a residential training camp will be held in Mirpur. In which, all the players will be required to stay at the team hotel in Dhaka so that they can be safe from being exposed to Covid-19.

Meanwhile, BCB is yet to finalize the tour plan with the hosts’ board Sri Lanka Cricket. As per the government regulation, everyone who enters Sri Lanka requires a 14-day quarantine period. But BCB is not agreed with this term. They rather asked Sri Lanka board to make the quarantine period shorter. BCB CEO has said recently that Sri Lanka board is working closely with their health department to make a shorter quarantine period sure for Bangladesh national team and its support staff.

The Chief Election Commissioner for BFF Election 2020 on Sunday (Sept 13) officially published the final candidates list with ballot numbers, including Badal Roy, who submitted a late withdrawal application, as one of the three candidate for the hot seat of BFF President. 

As per final candidate list, 47 candidates will compete for the 21 posts of the BFF Executive Committee--three for the hot seat of president, two for the senior vice president, eight for vice president and 34 for executive members in the BFF Poll to be held on October 3.

Some 139 councilors of BFF will exercise their voting right to elect one president, one senior vice president, four vice presidents and 15 EC members from 2 pm to 6 pm at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, followed by its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the same venue on the day.

Three-time BFF vice president cum former national forward Badal Roy, who filed nomination for the BFF president challenging the incumbent Kazi Salahuddin, withdrew his candidature after expiry of date line on Saturdayon grounds of critical health condition.  The submission however came one hour late.

Badal Roy withdrew his candidature sending a request letter to the chief election commissioner through his wife Madhuri Roy at about 6 pm, after the expiry of date line at 5 pm on Saturday, the last day of withdrawal.

His wife said Badal Roy was very much sick after suffering from Covid-19 recently as well as his previous illness. It will be very risky for him (Badal) to carry on election campaign, so he decided to quit the election.

Even if his name was included in the ballot paper, she requested people to not try to vote for Badal. 

Salahuddin, who has ruled the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for the last twelve years as president, will face a challenge from his fellow ex-national footballer, as well as ex-national coach Shafiqul Islam Manik.

Manik, 52, who trained national football team and a number of leading BPL teams, surprisingly came to scenario in the last moment collecting nomination paper for the hot seat of BFF on the last day of nomination distribution last Monday, somehow made the BFF election meaningfulafter prospective candidate Tarafder Md Ruhul Amin declined to compete in BFF Election '20 in the dying moment.

Former national striker Sheikh Mohammad Aslam also challenged sitting senior vice president and his district mate Abdus Salam Murshedy MP in the post.

Final candidate lists with ballot number (in bracket):

President: Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin (1), Badal Roy (2), Md Shahfiqul Islam Manik (3).

Senior Vice President: Abdus Salam Murshedy MP (1), Sheikh Mohammad Aslam (2).

Vice President: Mohiuddin Ahmed Mohi (5), Tabith Awal (4), Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hasan (8), SM Abdullah Al Fuad Ridwan (2), Kazi Nabil Ahmed MP (3), Amirul Islam Babu (1), Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan Manik (6), and Imrul Hasan (7) .

EC member: Abdul Wadud Pintu (3), Mohammad Sabbir Hosssin (14), Mohidur Rahman Miraj (11), Manjurul Ahsan (10), Imtiaz Sultan Jony (18),  Hazi Mohammad Rafiq (25), ANM Aminul Haque Mamun (20, Arif Hosssin Moon (16), Mohammad Saiful Islam (24), Syed Mustaq Ali Mukul (32), Mohammad Ameer Khan (15) , Hazi Tipu Sultan ( 8), Shahkawat Hosssin Bhuiyan Shahin (31), Fazlur Rahman Babul (21),  Hasnuzzaman Khan Bablu (28), Saifur Rahman Moni (23), Mizanur Rahman,(13), Zakir Hossain Chowdhury (7) , Raihan Kabir (26), Harun ur Rashid (34), Shawkat Ali Khan Jahangir (27) Satyajit Das Rupu (30), Elias Hosssin (19), Bijon Barua (9), Amit Khan Shuvro (1), Iqbal Hossain (17), Mohiuddin Ahmed Salim (22), Mahfuza Akhter Kiron (12), Asaduzzaman Mithu (4), Kamrul Hasan Hilton (6), Syed Riazul Karim (33), Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj (5), Nurul Islam Nuru (20), Shakil Mahmud Chowdury (29),

BFF president Kazi Salahuddin-led 21-member Sammillita Parishad panel are:

President: Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin, Sr Vice President: Abdus Salam Murshedy MP, 

Vice presidents: Kazi Nabil Ahmed MP, Amirul Islam Babu, Imrul Hasan and Ataur Rahman Manik.

Members: Harun ur Rashid, Shawkat Ali Khan Jahangir, Satyajit Das Rupu, Elias Hosssin, Bijon Barua, Amit Khan Shuvro, Iqbal Hossain, Mohiuddin Ahmed Salim , Md Zakir Hossain, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, Asaduzzaman Mithu, Kamrul Hasan Hilton, Syed Riazul Karim, Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj and Nurul Islam Nuru.

The proposed three-match Test series between Bangladesh and hosts Sri Lanka is in jeopardy as the government of Sri Lanka seems to be reluctant to provide with the facilities that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has asked.

As per the latest development, the regulation of the Sri Lanka government to tackle the Covid-19 situation cast a long shadow over the fate of the series.

This series was originally scheduled for July-August, but the Covid-19 situation forced the involving parties to reschedule it to October-November.

“We are still on our plan to send our High-performance Unit (HP) to Sri Lanka with the national team. The Sri Lanka board also agreed upon this. But their government has the other observation which they have sent to us. We will see it thoroughly and take the next step as soon as possible. Otherwise, we have nothing more to tell about the future of the series,” Naimur Rahman, the board director and chairman of HP, told the media on Sunday.

Every person who enters Sri Lanka is required to maintain a 14-day quarantine to check if he is infected with the Covid-19. But BCB asked Sri Lanka to trim this period to seven days. Sri Lanka board forwarded this proposal to their health department who are yet to come up with a reply.

“As we have talked to Sri Lanka board earlier, they agreed that we can practice during the quarantine period. But now their health department said we can’t practice during the quarantine. There are many things which are not under the control of Sri Lanka Cricket. They also asked to reduce the number of tour members,” Naimur Rahman added.

As Sri Lanka urged to reduce the members of the touring party, the tour of HP in danger now. However, Naimur Rahman said the tour of the national team is their main priority as they can organize a different camp for the players of HP.

“The tour of the national team should get the utmost priority as this series is a part of the ongoing World Test Championship. If we miss this window, it’ll be very tough to manage another window in the coming months. So we have to make the final call keeping all these in mind,” Naimur Rahman further added.