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Man, who are you kidding with?

The jet-set Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official thought of walking away with a smile after apparently hoodwinking the cricket-crazy crores recently. But it was not to be. The truth surfaced yesterday with the naming of the 15-man Australian World Cup squad by their Board.

Australian Tom Moody got a surprise call into the England-bound team. But it was more surprising for cricket's keen followers here in Bangladesh after they were wised up by the BCB general secretary only a few weeks back.

Syed Ashraful Huq, the internationally-reputed organiser of the Board, went on record by saying that it would not be possible to make any changes in the provisional 19-man Bangladesh squad named for the World Cup.

The reason was simple. The law does not permit such changes, he had said to a Bhorer Kagoj correspondent, while explaining why it was not possible to include Minhazul Abedin, who was not considered for the provisional selection of 19, declared on February 26, despite his noteworthy performance.

The omission of Minhazul from the provisional squad kicked up a furore among the cricket buffs as the former national captain performed the best among the local batsmen in domestic cricket and also at the residential camp of the short-listed 29.

``It's not possible. As far as I'm concerned there is no way for any reconsideration. We've already sent the list of 19 to the ICC (International Cricket Council),'' reacted Ashraful to the Bengali daily on March 5 on the popular appeal.

But an AFP report from Sydney last evening may force Ashraful to eat his own words.

``Moody last played for Australia at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in September and was omitted when a provisional squad of 19 was named earlier this year for the World Cup'', the report read.

Ashraful may have tried to take the mickey out of us but the nation shall await his reaction.