The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has rejected Saudi Arabia’s request to make its players and coaches available as part of its ‘Vision 2030’ strategy; According to Cricbuzz, these players will eventually play for Saudi Arabia after completing all the legal formalities.
Saudi Arabia, which is quickly making its mark in the world of football, has attracted international giants to its leagues and has also made its mark in international football by defeating Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Taking inspiration from the rapid growth in football, the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation has now started working at the grassroots level to develop cricket on a large scale.
Saudi Arabia wants to expand in international cricket with ‘Vision 2030’.
Driven by its strategic plan of ‘Vision 2030’, the Saudi Arabia cricket team is looking forward to massive international expansion and is ready to invest any amount. As part of its plan, the Saudi Arabian Federation approached BCB for players and coaches.
This was reported by Cricbuzz, as they revealed that Saudi Arabia is keen to follow the model used by the United States and the United Arab Emirates to feature foreign cricketers from different Test-playing nations for them in the long run.
As for the strategy, the proposal suggested that foreign players travel to Saudi Arabia to play domestic games and then complete the legal citizenship process to represent the Saudi Arabia national cricket team. Bangladesh was one of the many countries he contacted.
BCB rejected Saudi Arabia’s proposal
BCB President, Aminul Islam has rejected the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation’s offer to send players and coaches who can eventually complete the legal formalities and become part of the Saudi Arabian national team.
The BCB President revealed that the offer was made to the BCB about 2 months ago, and included a request for not only men but also women cricketers and coaches.
“You can say they (Saudi Arabia) approached me two months ago and I declined,” BCB president Aminul Islam confirmed to Cricbuzz on Saturday.
He said, “They asked us for players – both male and female players, and then they asked for coaches, but how can I provide them at the cost of my country’s interests?”
Saudi Arabia is increasing its presence in global sports
Saudi Arabia is considered one of the economically strongest countries in the world and has often attracted attention for the investments it has made to increase its presence in sports.
They have made significant investments in LIV Golf, Formula 1 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. With the growing stature of cricket around the world, they have shown interest in investing in the gentlemen’s game.
The Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation has received some major support from the ICC as well as the Asian Cricket Council, as the councils also look to establish the game of cricket in the Gulf.
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