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Test status in sight for Bangladesh

Zakia Maryam in Calcutta

International Cricket Council chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya announced on Wednesday that cricket minnows Bangladesh may finally get Test status in June this year.

Addressing a press conference at the Cricket Association of Bengal, he said all Bangladesh needed is a few more venues capable of organising the international cricket matches.

"Bangladesh has already been awarded the right to take part in next year's Word Cup cricket. However, the ICC has some reservations on the required cricket facilities and infrastructure needed to host more and more international matches there. An ICC team has already visited Bangladesh to inspect the cricket grounds there. Its findings have been submitted before the ICC, which will come up for discussion during the latter's annual general conference, scheduled in June this year," Dalmiya added.

The press conference was called to announce the names of former cricket stars who will be arriving in New Delhi on March 8, to select players for the Asia XI and Rest of the World XI teams.

According to Dalmiya, while Ian Chappel, Sunil Gavaskar, Tony Greig , Asif Iqbal and Mike Proctor will name the team for Asia XI, Garry Sobers, Dicky Bird, Barry Richards, Bishan Singh Bedi, Mushtaque Mohammad, Duleep Mendis, Neil Harvey, John Reid and Andrew Pycroft have been entrusted the job of selecting the Rest of the World team.

"Selection procedures for both the teams will be recorded by our producer TWI and televised later during Cricket Week, starting from April 8 in Dhaka. Ravi Shastri will be the moderator during both the selections," Dalmiya said.

Asked whether he supported the idea of telecasting the selection committee meetings of the BCCI as mooted by former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar, Dalmiya said, "My stand on this is absolutely clear. I have always advocated that the selection meetings of the BCCI should be telecast live. But I guess Mr. Lele would be the right person to comment on this since he is the supreme boss."

Dalmiya was furious when a reporter sought his clarification on recent media reports about a senior Indian player's voluntarily disclosure of his income.

"Can you tell me whether the said income had come from betting and match fixing? Although I stand by my commitments of paying special heed to the complaints of match fixing, someone should come forward with ample proof in support of his allegations. I have made the findings of both the Chandrachud Committee and the Australian Committee public. We'll also be discussing these reports at length in the ICC meeting. So it proves our commitment to fight the menace of betting and match fixing in cricket."

Elaborating further on the matches to be played during the Cricket Week, the ICC supremo said that even though only current players will figure in both the Asia XI and Rest of the World XI, the matches wouldn't get the official ODI status.

The winners will be richer by $30,000 while there is no prize-money for the losers. However, all the participating players will receive appearance fees.