Bangladesh Cricket Board prepares for pivotal meeting with sports adviser amid concerns over hosting Women’s T20 WC

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) representatives are set to meet Asif Mahmud, the interim government's youth and sports adviser, on Sunday to discuss the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. As per reports, the focus is on which BCB officials will stay and whether the new government will reform the board.

After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's departure, Professor Muhammad Yunus was named chief advisor to the interim government on August 8. Many BCB board members, including President Nazmul Hassan, had to leave due to their links with Hasina's party. However, some board members remain in Dhaka.

Interim Government To Revamp Bangladesh Cricket Board

According to ESPNcricinfo, the interim government might appoint an ad-hoc committee to manage the BCB. The ICC would accept this if there is no direct government interference and elections are held later. The ICC may investigate and take action if there are concerns about government interference.

The International Cricket Council will ask the Bangladesh Cricket Board to appoint a representative for all ICC meetings if a new board is established. This is similar to when a committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India took over the BCCI's administration, their CEO attended ICC meetings.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board headquarters in Mirpur remains functional. Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the BCB chief executive, oversees operations, but many board members, including President Nazmul Hassan, have not appeared since August 5. The BCB struggles to function properly without its board, with an ICC event approaching.

Don't Think Many Directors Will Appear In The BCB - BCB Director

An anonymous Bangladesh Cricket Board director told ESPNcricinfo that most of his colleagues are unlikely to attend future meetings. He said that the BCB is elected, but any government directive about changes must be accepted. He added only a few directors might attend if a meeting is called.

"The BCB is an elected body but if there's any directive from the government about a change in the BCB, we have to accept it. I don't think many directors will appear in the BCB. If a meeting is called, the number could be five or eight [out of 24]," he said.

Another board director, also requesting anonymity, expressed concern about the upcoming women's T20 World Cup. He mentioned that the BCB board remains in place and expects government guidance soon.

"The BCB board is still there. We will hopefully get a guideline from the government, possibly tomorrow, when the board is supposed to meet the new sports adviser. We are not worried about ourselves but we have a few events coming up, like the World Cup," he added.

Hosting the tournament could face challenges if the ICC requires immediate security assurances from Bangladesh. The interim government, sworn in on August 8, has not yet fully activated the police force. However, there is optimism that it will become operational soon.

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