India's cricket board is hopeful that Bangladesh will go ahead with their planned tour of the country for a bilateral series despite an ongoing strike by its players, newly elected BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly said on Wednesday. Bangladesh's cricketers are on an indefinite strike until a list of demands are met by the country's cricket board (BCB), skipper Shakib Al Hasan said on Monday, putting next month's tour of India in doubt. The tour, which starts on Nov. 3, includes three Twenty20 internationals and two test matches. Bangladesh announced a 15-man T20 squad last week with Shakib set to lead the side. Former India captain Ganguly, 47, took over as the president of the world's richest cricket board on Wednesday after being elected unopposed. Ganguly, who hails from the Indian state of West Bengal, said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has confirmed her presence at Eden Gardens in Kolkata for the second test match next month. "I hope so because two days before, I spoke to the honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh and she has agreed to come and visit for the Test match when India play Bangladesh on Nov. 22," Ganguly told reporters. "I'm sure when the prime minister has given consent, I don't see the national team not turning up. "But at the end of the day it's their decision, it's their internal matter where we do not have any say or we should not have any say." As well as hefty pay increases, players in the cricket-crazy South Asian country are demanding a return to a franchise-based model in the Bangladesh Premier League. BCB President Nazmul Hassan said the board was open to discussions but criticized the players and said the board would try to find out who instigated the strike. — Reuters
