CWC 2019: 'ICC asked us not to include red in World Cup jersey,' says BCB president Nazmul Hassan

What's the story?

Bangladesh recently unveiled their kit for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019, with the color scheme containing only green. As Bangladesh's national flag has both the red and green colors present, fans were angry about the decision of their cricket board to opt for an all-green jersey.

Ultimately, the cricket board was forced to make certain changes and now the Bangladeshi players will don a red and green jersey while playing in the mega-event.

The background

Bangladesh have been sporting a red and green look in the limited-overs formats for many years. However, there was one period of time when the red color was totally overlooked by the kit designers. BCB president Nazmul Hassan himself pointed this out saying:

"We have usually had red and green in our jerseys over the years but there were times when we didn't have the red. I remember it was yellow and green during the 1999 World Cup and the 2000 Asia Cup."

However, over the past decade, the Bangladeshi team have consistently sported the red color in their jerseys which is why fans were taken aback when they found it was absent from the World Cup kit.

The heart of the matter

Snaps of Bangladesh @cricketworldcup Squad Official Photo Session today at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Peg6Kw9OvB

— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) April 29, 2019

According to an ESPNCricinfo report, BCB approached the International Cricket Council before making any changes to their jersey.

"After the jersey unveiling yesterday, I sat with the board directors to look at the jersey again. Someone spotted the lack of red in the jersey. We have now decided to add the red to our jersey," said Nazmul Hassan.

He went on to explain that it was the ICC who had instructed them not to add red to their jersey since it might make the numbering and player names difficult to read. However, following backlash from the fans, they have now added a red patch in the middle with the team's name written on it.

"Initially, it was the ICC who told us to not have the red in our jersey. We have a separate jersey, completely red [with white lettering], for some of the other games."

What's next?

Bangladesh will play their first World Cup match against South Africa on 2nd June. Before that, though, they will play a tri-series with Ireland and Windies in preparation for the marquee event.