Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCCB) will set up a cricket academy soon for the development of the game.

BCB general secretary Mah-bubul Anam disclosed this at a press conference on Monday after the fifth executive committee meeting of the board at a local hotel.

Vice-president Aziz Al Kaiser Tito presided over the meeting in absence of president Ali Asghar.

Joint secretary Reazuddin Al Mamun and CEO Mahmudur Rahman were present at the briefing.

The board has decided to extend the contract of six national players --Shahriar Nafees, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Mushfiqur Rahim and Alok Kapali -for the next six months till September 30. Their contract expired on March 31.

Mahbub informed that the board decided to submit its bid to the ICC for hosting the 2011 World Cup, 2012 Champions Trophy and 2014 Under-19 World Cup.

“A trainer for the national team will be appointed within two weeks as current trainer Stuart Karpinnen is leaving his job this May,” he told the reporters.

The BCCB general secretary said that Twenty20 cricket is likely to be introduced in the country in next year's domestic calendar. The board will also upgrade the indoor facilities outside the capital within three months.

Replying to a question, Mahbub said the construction work at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium would be completed by mid-June, enabling the BCCB to host matches of Zimbabwe's tour to Bangladesh at the end of this year.

The BCCB is expected to advertise this week for appointing a manager for the national team. Former national cricketer Shafiqul Haque Heera will be the manager of the Tigers during Australia's tour of Bangladesh.

The budget of the tour has been estimated at Tk 2.5 crore.