BCB CEO blames rain for below-par Mirpur outfield

BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury has cited rain and the overcast condition in Dhaka in the past few months for below-par preparation of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium outfield in Mirpur for the first Test match against Australia. The ICC match referee Jeff Crowe last week rated the recently re-laid outfield at SBNS “poor” for the first Test, held from August 27 to 30. The match referee for the Bangladesh-Australia Test in Dhaka in accordance with Clause 3 of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process submitted his report to the ICC and expressed concern over the quality of the outfield. “There is no question regarding effort to prepare the ground. We all know that Bangladesh has been suffering from severe flood and rain for which preparing the field in Mirpur had become a challenge for us. But still we tried to do the best we can. We believe our grounds committee had made all efforts but the weather had made the work tough,” BCB high-up Nizamuddin explained to the media on Wednesday.

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Also read: Dhaka outfield rated as poor by ICC match referee

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“There has been no complaint regarding the Mirpur outfield since the venue was given international status in 2005 by the ICC. This venue has hosted many ICC events including the final of the 2014 World T20. This venue has hosted three Asia Cup tournaments. There was no lacking in preparation of the ground but the overcast weather had harmed the work. They (ICC) have complained just because of the grass on the field,” the BCB CEO added. The ICC’s match referee report was later forwarded to the BCB. The BCB CEO informed that a reply to the ICC has already been made. “This is a regular protocol maintained by the ICC. The match referee submits a report to the ICC after every match. The host board is asked for an explanation if the match referee terms the outfield or the pitch poor. We have received the ICC report and have already replied them back on the issue,” informed Nizamuddin.