It was not only the young bowler but also all the players who were under risk of injury because of condition of the ground, which simply resembled a paddy field.

The twenty minutes delay to start the opening match for the formal inauguration irked many but what upset most was the under prepared outfield and poor quality of the ball used in the competition.

That was the way the most coveted domestic competition got under way though there had been a lot of buzzing with local cricket but in the end, it proved that the officials have hardly been serious about the domestic scene, the key to improve standard of the game.

Rezaul Haq of Partex was the first victim of an uneven surface as he had to take three stitches between his thumb and the index finger before Nazmul survived the threat of serious injury when a ball popped off the ground to hit his forehead at deep square-leg, forcing him to leave the field with pain.

"Anything could have happened to Nazmul but thankfully he survived. Not only Nazmul but also anybody could have been in the casualty list at this ground. It is hard to believe that we are playing highest level cricket and want to make a mark at this level with such poor standard," said Old DOHS skipper Akram Khan expressing his disappointment.

The fact that the match officials had to change the ball thrice within the first twenty overs confirms the poor quality of the ball being used.

"It has been a permanent headache in domestic competitions for the last few seasons but I must say it is the worst possible white ball used so far," Akram observed.

National skipper Habibul Bashar echoed with his predecessor's sentiment and feared that this kind of ground could bring disaster.

"Its really frustrating. It's dangerous to play cricket on such kind of rough outfield and the quality of the white ball was absolutely bad. We had also complained about the quality of the ball used in the recently concluded Corporate Cricket League," said the captain of Mohammedan.

Khondokar Jamiluddin, chairman of Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), admitted that the ground and ball were not standard but he expressed his helplessness.

"We have allotted Tk 2,500 for each ball in the budget and I think the amount is good enough to buy a quality ball. But the problem is my committee was not involved in purchasing rather it was the board's purchase and cricket committees who have supplied the equipment," explained Jamil.

"I can assure that the ball will definitely be changed from the next round because all the match officials have already complained. I agree that cricket should not be played in these conditions but I am helpless about the matter as the grounds committee look after the department."

He also cleared his position about the long-standing problem with the dressing rooms that were in worst possible conditions when four teams gathered at the venue at the same time.

"We failed to improve the facilities because of non-cooperation of the National Sports Council (NSC) but this time I had requested the board to do the necessary renovation work on their own. I agree that it is a shame to provide a dressing room like that to the players."