Ill-timed itinerary puts Asia Cup in jeopardy

By Vijay Lokapally

DHAKA, MAY 28. Ashraf-ul-Haq cuts a sorry and lonely figure in his office at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. No mad rush to seek tickets and passes. It is all quiet except for the rattling sound of rain on the tin roof.

And of course the shrill sound of the telephone which evokes a one line response from an exasperated Haq. ``Khela hobe naa (no match)'' he tells every caller, as politely as possible. Within, however, Haq, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BSB) Secretary, is deeply frustrated at the Asia Cup being confronted by a torrid spell of rain, which has arrived much ahead of schedule.

The inaugural match of the seventh edition of the Asia Cup, between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh here on Sunday is called off in the morning itself. The contest has been rescheduled for Monday, but looking at the state of the venue the hopes are remote. In fact, more depressing forecast over the next few days, with city being lashed by rain, have raised serious doubts on the entire tournament.

Haq tries his best to hide his anger, but it proved a futile attempt. It is the callous attitude of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that hurts him. The big three - India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - must have their way at the cost of Bangladesh, which is on the verge of gaining Test status.

This edition of the Asia Cup was scheduled for January, 1999. ``The best time to have cricket in Bangladesh is from October to March,'' said Haq. But the giants of the sub- continent showed far more interest in staging the Asian Test championship at the behest of one man who dreamt of having a similar competition involving all Test nations. We all know the feasibility of such a competition in the existing scenario.

``Who cares for Asia Cup,'' wailed a disappointed Haq. He agreed that the tournament had been devalued by the participating teams themselves. ``If only we could have had this tournament in winter,'' he sighed as he searched for the outfield which was now just a large pool of water.

The status of the Asia Cup, the organisers would have us believe, is second only to the World Cup. ``Where else would you have three world champions competing in a regional tournament,'' Haq made a valid point. But all this has been sadly lost on the cricket administrators of the sub-continent.

The focus in the sub-continent has rarely been on professionalism despite the staging of two World Cups in 1987 and 1996. ``Every time the ACC met the dates were finalised to suit the big three. It is recorded in the minutes of every meeting that the tournament be held every two years, but we have not done that,'' said Haq. Here we have a situation with the tournament likely to be subjected to a new schedule every passing day. It speaks for the efficiency of the ACC in staging its most prestigious tournament.

As Haq returns to answering more telephone calls, the rain subsides. But there is little scope for anyone to even step on to the field. Even the media centre is flooded and repair work is carried on to restore the damage off the ground - shattered window panes and billboards and temporary roofs ripped off.

The fury of nature mocks at the cricket fans who throng the stadium with high, but misplaced, hopes. The dejected sight of Haq in his room is just an apt reflection of the insensitive scheduling of the Asia Cup. Only a miracle can save this edition one must say!

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