Bulbul begins BCB tenure with decentralisation drive

A day after assuming the role at the helm, newly appointed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul chaired a four-and-a-half-hour-long board of directors meeting at the BCB headquarters in Mirpur yesterday.

At the outset of the meeting, Bulbul -- a former official at both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) -- delivered a presentation himself, marking a first for a BCB president.

In his address, he stressed the urgent need to launch four new development programmes. However, there were no discussions about elections or constitutional reforms.

A major outcome of the meeting was the decision to decentralise cricket operations in Bangladesh. This will begin with two pilot projects two pilot projects in the country's northern and southern parts.

"This is totally a fresh beginning," Iftekhar Rahman Mithu, chairman of BCB's media and communication committee, told reporters after the meeting.

Similar initiatives were introduced during the tenure of former president Nazmul Hassan Papon but never materialised.

"Since around 2000–2002, we are hearing about regional cricket. But for the first time, we feel that it will finally come to light," he added.

The meeting also covered plans to develop coaches, umpires, and curators through talent hunts and training initiatives.

"Experienced British turf manager Toby Lumsden will conduct a seven-day training camp to develop the curators. Similar programmes will also be introduced for coaches and umpires.

"The new board president wants educated local curators, groundsmen in all venues in the country so that we don't need to depend on foreign ones," Mithu informed further, noting that restoring the BCB's image -- which has taken a hit in recent months -- was another key talking point.

He also mentioned that the board is still due Tk 20 crore from TV broadcasters, sponsors, and franchises. If the amount is collected, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) from last year would yield a net profit of Tk 75 lakh.