A festive mood has taken hold in the country's cricket arena, especially at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.  International cricket has once again returned to the scene after a long break. Everyone wants to be part of the action when it comes to an international tournament or series, which understandably gets the highest priority. The glitz and glamour cannot be compared with any other competition. It is nice to see that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) left no stones unturned to provide the best facilities for the national team, hiring specialist coaches including a legend like Courtney Walsh; an ideal scenario for any growing team in world cricket.

There is also no shortage of excitement with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), although it is a domestic competition. This cash-rich T20 tournament also garners glamour and attention. BCB has started preparations for the tournament long ago and they had finalised everything well before the start of the tournament from November 4.

Right now, however, the BCB have another tournament on their plate, but it is close to getting the same attention or priority. Who can think about the National Cricket League, which will start from September 25, when the international series and the BPL are on the cards?

It is a tournament the BCB can arrange whenever they want to arrange it; no foreign teams or TV deals are involved. Who cares whether teams are getting enough time for preparation ahead of this first-class tournament? You might question why this 'important domestic competition' always seems to coincide with the preparation of the national side, but really, who cares?

Everyone is fond of talking in lofty tones when discussing the importance of improving the domestic cricket structure, especially the first-class structure, as we need to develop a strong first-class tradition to become a formidable cricketing nation. But those words are not reflected in practice. A fixed domestic calendar seems now to be perennially promised but never implemented.

While a press conference regarding NCL took place at Mirpur yesterday, former national captain and current BCB director Akram Khan was asked whether they felt the need for some time for the teams to prepare for a quality tournament and what he said was nothing new, only adding that the divisions must also come forward.

Against such a sordid backdrop, if an organization comes forward to provide financial support as Walton have done, they deserve every bit of credit.

In the end, the ultimate question is whether this vital competition gets the sincere attention from the board, because although it operates under the radar it does perform a valuable service for Bangladesh cricket, without which the glitz may not be possible.