Jalal Yunus, the chairman of Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) cricket operations, has raised his concern about the players’ potential health risks from the Asia Cup’s hybrid travel plan. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will share hosting duties for the 2023 Asia Cup. Four games will be played in Pakistan, and Sri Lanka will host nine games, including the summit match. Prior to the ODI World Cup, which is slated to take place in India in October-November, the competition will act as a dress rehearsal.
Along with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, Bangladesh is in Group B. For their first group-stage matchup against Dasun Shanaka’s team on August 31, they will have to travel to Sri Lanka. They then have to go to Pakistan for their second group encounter against Afghanistan on September 3.
If Bangladesh is able to advance to the Super 4, they will play their opening match in Pakistan before moving all of their subsequent games to Sri Lanka.
“Yes, the first game will be played in Lahore. In the first round, there are two matches—one in Pakistan and the other in Sri Lanka. Since we are helpless in reality, we must go. The following game follows on August 31 and takes place on September 3. The Asia Cup organizers [ACC] have chosen to charter flights for the teams’ travel in order to make the trip more comfortable. We’ll fly on privately chartered aircraft. Asian Cricket Council is accountable for this. Undoubtedly, we would like to fly with a reputable airline, whether it be a national carrier or a chartered aircraft. Yunus was reported by CriKETMOOD as saying this.
There will undoubtedly be an effect if you travel: Yunus Jalal
Traveling by air and arriving at airports two hours before flights could put the players under mental stress, according to Jalal Yunus, who took over for Akram Khan as the chairman of cricket operations in 2021. He did, however, agree that Bangladesh would also need to prepare for the same given that other teams were happy with the timetable.
“There will undoubtedly be an effect if you travel, at least that’s what I believe, because flying requires you to arrive two hours early and carry your luggage, and getting ready for all of that is psychologically taxing. From Sri Lanka, Pakistan is far away. Since it is the ACC’s decision, there is nothing to be done, and everyone is acting accordingly. We must accept it as well, he said.
As they will begin a training camp to prepare for the next Asia Cup on July 31, BCB is anticipated to release a preliminary team shortly.
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