Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Ali Asghar was one of the most anticipated guests at The Daily Star Roundtable on Cricket. However, the lawmaker from Khulna failed to reach Dhaka in time from his constituency after missing the morning flight. The Daily Star Sport later in the first week of January caught up with Asghar for an exclusive interview that touched on many of the burning questions and recommendations to come out of the roundtable.

The Daily Star Sport (DSS): We desperately missed you in the round table.

Ali Asghar (AA): First of all I want to thank The Daily Star for taking this interview after I missed the roundtable. I'm really sorry to miss the event.

In fact, I was in Khulna (my constituency) on that day and was scheduled to avail the first flight in the morning to come to Dhaka. But the flight was delayed because of thick fog and I couldn't reach here in time.

DSS: Our first question is what is the number one problem you think now is faced by our cricket?

AA: Look, we have numerous problems and it's very difficult to single one out. Even Australia have problems too.

But again if you ask me about one problem, I think it's the lack of proper cricketing infrastructure, which is the main problem in Bangladesh cricket. We don't have the infrastructure.

DSS: In the roundtable, most of the speakers identified flaws in domestic cricket structure as the number one problem. There were allegations that your Board failed to make the National League as the premier competition of the country. Besides, there is no proper ground for cricket and the game needs to be taken out of the capital. Do you agree? How do you want to go about it?

AA: Yes, I partially agree with them and that's why we are thinking of taking the game out of Dhaka. We are building five stadia at different places in the country which will be ready for the Under-19 World Cup.

We are also thinking to develop the Sylhet and Barisal stadiums to raise the number of cricket venues. Hopefully work will start there after the under-19 meet.

I can assure you that the game will be decentralised from this season once the World Cup is over.

DSS: It is said that the schools cricket is the breeding ground of the game. But the tournament these days is not creating that much enthusiasm compared to what we have seen in the past. The month of December is the ideal time for the meet to take place, but it did not happen this year.

AA: The schools cricket will start next week (2nd week of January). We could not hold it in December because of our involvement in the World Cup and also for unavailability of grounds. But again this will be over from next season.

DSS: We frequently see that domestic competitions are being hampered by international events. The National League this year almost suffered a suspension due to the preparations for the World Cup. Don't you have a proper plan?

AA: You know the ICC has given us a ten-year programme for International cricket. We cannot ignore that because that is related with the teams visiting Bangladesh. Again, we give a lot of importance to our domestic cricket and try not to hamper that for international events. However, it happens due to shortage of grounds.

DSS: We are fascinated to building new stadia but always end up in erecting a concrete structure rather than having all the facilities there needed for the game. Will the stadiums that are being made be exclusively for cricket?

AA: Yes, these five are cricket stadiums with all the required facilities. The government has given us written assurance that those stadiums will only be used for cricket. The government will hand over the venues to BCB after the World Cup.

DSS: Now let's have your views on an ideal management set up. Are you on way to making it a reality?

AA: Yes, I'm looking forward to setting up an ideal management system and the appointment of a chief executive officer (CEO) is the first step towards that. The CEO is now all in all in the Board. He is working liberally. He only talks to me when he finds it difficult to make a decision. Also we are recruiting some more professionals in the Board and some of them have already been interviewed. We hope, by March the whole process will be done.

DSS: Former Board president Saber Hossain attended the roundtable. He made a very serious observation about your functioning as president.

Let us quote Saber, "Both KZ Islam and I were Board presidents and I think we exercised authority and were given the leverage and independence to work. So I appeal to the present Board, 'Don't make your president a lame duck president. Give him the authority and power to decide. There are whisperings which are now turning into a loud chorus that he cannot decide because there are other influences within the Board'."

What do you say about this?
AA: If it is like that then where are the decisions coming from? I am taking all the decisions and without my signature no decision is made. If someone has said something different then I will only say that this is absolutely gossip because the president is the sole authority in the Board. I am running the Board.

Of course I have my advisors because I cannot run the Board alone. I take advice from my advisors and that's all. That doesn't mean that I don't have the power.

DSS: Saber also mentioned, "We don't want politicians to decide the policies for the game. Rather there should be a policy that will be made on consensus and that has to be kept going, no matter which government is in power." Are you of the same opinion?

AA: Of course, I'm of the same opinion. I told you that the day I took over as the president of BCB, I said that it would not be politicised. We want to build Bangladesh cricket team, we want to build a good image of Bangladesh cricket, and we want to take this game ahead. So we have no room to do politics here.

I want to tell you one thing about this that the government and the state minister for youth and sports have never interfered in any activities of the Board.

DSS: You have a good point that the appointment of the CEO was unanimously appreciated. While saying that KZ Islam suggested that the CEO should be the all in all in the Board. He will be accountable only to the president. But presently he is surrounded by very, very powerful chiefs of different committees who are calling all the shots. Do you agree with Islam?

AA: You should ask this question to the CEO. I think he is in a better position to say whether he has the power or not.

DSS: To give the CEO his full authority you need an amendment in the constitution. Have you taken any initiative in this regard?

AA: You see, for the time being we have given him full authority. But the question of amendment will be faced when it comes. We are going to have a new constitution from NSC very soon and it is expected that the constitution will validate his position.

Besides, we are also going to change the name of the Board to 'Cricket Bangladesh'.

DSS: You have appointed a CEO at the same time when you have got a recommendation by the constitution committee to get back to the old form of executive committee. Isn't it tricky situation for you?

AA: You see, CEO is an appointment. It has got nothing to do with the Board. He is working as an employee, right. He is getting salary. Now, you only need to amend the constitution when the question of the form of the Board arises. But, to set up the area of work for the CEO we need to amend the constitution and that we will do.

DSS: You have rewarded a councillor who actually pioneered the move of suspending an elected body of the Board. Many say that it was a political decision. Does politics really play a role in cricket?

AA: No, it's not true. I have already said that we don't want to do anything politically in the Board. Neither anybody was promoted nor rewarded. We have appointed people according to their merit.

This is not the final thing. The Board will have an election including its president just after the Under-19 World Cup. We want the Board president also to be elected and not selected.

DSS: Do you think that political influence should be kept out of the functioning of sports in general and cricket in particular?

AA: I think political influence should not be there in any sort of sport and cricket is no exception.