Bangladesh may lose ICC membership, warns BCB chief

Bangladesh might lose its ICC membership if the cricket board doesn't hold its election according to the ICC's guideline, BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said.

In order to minimise government interference and ensure that board chiefs are elected properly, the ICC had reportedly come up with some guidelines and accordingly the BCB directors had amended its' constitution on March 1, 2012.

However, Bangladesh High Court challenged the legality of the newly amended BCB constitution and since it needed the approval from the National Sports Council, the regulatory body of sports in Bangladesh, the election got delayed.

The delay meant, the BCB was forced to run the body by an ad-hoc body from late November after the elected body's tenure had expired.

According to rules, the BCB elections are supposed to take place within 90 days of the ad-hoc committee taking over the board.

"We had to change the constitution to follow ICC guidelines so that's how the 2012 draft came about," Hassan was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

"If we don't do the election according to ICC's guideline and the court declares the 2008 constitution valid, Bangladesh stands to lose its ICC membership.

"We need a constitution to run the election, and I have two at the moment. One from 2008 and the other done in 2012. The latter constitution was sent to the BCB ad-hoc committee by the National Sports Council. But since this 2012 draft is with the court, our election is being delayed," he said.

Hassan is clear that changes suggested by ICC have to be considered but said unless the High court decides on the BCB constitution, their hands are tied.

"In the last [ICC] board meeting, we were told that every board has to bring about certain changes to their constitution. But unless the High Court decides on our board's constitution, we don't have much to do," he said.

"We are seeking legal opinion because the ICC has set a timeframe and bindings. We have to do something within these limitations."

Photograph: Andrew Bira/Reuters