On Thursday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board conceded that excessive travel will have an impact on their Asia Cup 2023 campaign. BCB and other Asian nations have found themselves in this fix because of the ongoing saga of India vs Pakistan cricketing boards (BCCI vs PCB).
The Asia Cup 2023 is being played under a hybrid model, and according to the schedule, Bangladesh, who are in Group B, will play their group phase matches in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively.
After playing their first group B match against Sri Lanka on August 31, they will travel to Pakistan to face Afghanistan on September 3. If they qualify, they will play their first Super Four game before returning to Sri Lanka to play the next two Super Four games. If they qualify for the Asia Cup 2023 final, they will also play it in Sri Lanka.
“Yes, we must travel to Lahore for the first match. The first round has two matches, one in Sri Lanka and one in Pakistan. We have to leave because we can’t do anything else. The next match after August 31st is on September 3rd. The Asia Cup organisers [ACC] have opted to fly the teams in chartered flights to make the journey more comfortable. We will fly in hired flights. The Asian Cricket Council is in charge of this. Of course, we would like to go by excellent airline, whether it is a national airline or a chartered plane; either way, it would be beneficial to everyone,” Jalal Yunus, chairman of the BCB cricket operation, told media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
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“If you travel, there will undoubtedly be an impact that I feel because if you travel by air, you will have to arrive two hours earlier and carry your luggage, and preparing all of these things is mentally stressful. Pakistan is a long distance away from Sri Lanka. So there is nothing to be done because it is the ACC’s decision, and everyone is acting accordingly. We must accept it as well,” he stated, adding that they will make a judgement on Tamim Iqbal’s availability for Asia Cup 2023 when he returns from his holiday.
Tamim, who just retired but later changed his mind at the request of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is on leave for one and a half months.
The left-handed opener, who is suffering from back pain, is likely to consult with doctors in England before coming home, and it is assumed that he will consult with the board before deciding on his next steps.
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