http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mustafa-Kamal-c78122 – Cricket News Update
Bangladesh Cricket Board president, Mustafa Kamal has defended his position on the now-controversial proposed tour of Pakistan, insisting that the decision to send the national team to Pakistan was not motivated by any personal reasons.
The tour was first proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board, with Chairman Zaka Ashraf eager to bring international cricket back to the country after terrorist attacks on the visiting Sri Lankan contingent in 2009 put an end to any tours by foreign teams to
Pakistan.
The BCB initially expressed interest in the proposition, and sent a delegation to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, which expressed its approval of the security situation in the country. However, doubts voiced by the International Cricket Council, which refused to send its match
officials to the country, led to growing hesitation on Bangladesh’s part. Mustafa Kamal subsequently backed out of the tour, saying they would not be sending the team to Pakistan unless the ICC provided neutral match officials.
The sudden snub caused Ashraf to declare that Pakistan would be forced to review their relationship with Bangladesh if the tour did not proceed, after which Kamal once again agreed to go ahead with the tour.
The declaration was followed by rumours about a deal between Kamal and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 vice-president in exchange for Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan.
The Federation of International Cricketers Association expressed outrage at the decision to proceed with the tour, slamming http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kamal-c70069 for putting the lives of players at risk for the sake of personal political aspirations. The criticism was followed shortly
by the cancellation of the tour, after the Dhaka High Court expressed its reservations on the matter, and asked Kamal for the justification behind the decision to tour Pakistan.
The chairman, however, is adamant that there were no such ulterior motives behind the decision.
“No that is absolutely incorrect. I can’t get the vice-presidency with Pakistan’s support only. I need endorsements from at least 7 of 10 full members of the ICC to acquire the important office,” he clarified.
He went on to add that the tour had been finalized with the intent to improve bilateral ties between the two nations.
“PCB and BCB are striving hard for the betterment of cricket in the region, and I hope the bilateral cooperation will continue,” he concluded.
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