The Bangladesh Cricket Board has unveiled an ambitious infrastructure initiative aimed at addressing the poor state of most cricket venues outside Mirpur, Sylhet and Chattogram, with a focus on upgrading substandard pitches across the country.
Following a board meeting on Wednesday, BCB Grounds Committee chairman Khaled Mashud Pilot acknowledged that many grounds remain in disrepair and that the quality of wickets is a growing concern. Apart from a handful of venues, he admitted that most pitches are not fit for regular use.
“If we want to take Bangladesh cricket to a better place, grounds are crucial,” Khaled said. “Without proper grounds it is very difficult to move forward. Many venues are in very poor condition. We have a long-term plan, but we are also pushing for quick progress. Within this season we are trying to build more than a hundred wickets.”
The initiative, titled “Hundred Wickets in 2026”, does not involve acquiring new land. Instead, the board plans targeted upgrades to existing facilities. Khaled pointed to Fatullah as an example, saying much of the infrastructure is already in place but remains unused due to incomplete work.
“If you look at the Fatullah outer ground, around 20 per cent of the work is incomplete and that is why there is no cricket there,” he said. “If we improve it, we can have around nine wickets. Work has already started in Purbachal and progress has been made. We expect to have about ten wickets there as well, which would give us around twenty from these two locations.”
He also highlighted a structural issue at divisional venues such as Bogura, Khulna and Rajshahi, where the same central wickets have been used for decades.
“These grounds still have five centre wickets from about 20 years ago, with a few on either side,” Khaled explained. “Age-group and first-class matches are played on the same centre wickets, so after a point there is no grass left. If we add four more wickets on each side and also in front of the dressing rooms, and then add wickets on the opposite side as well, every venue can offer better pitches in the future.”
The board believes the programme will ease pressure on overused surfaces, improve match quality at domestic level and create a more sustainable pathway for developing cricket infrastructure nationwide.
