The seventh edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) cricket is supposed to start from Dec 6 next and this time, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to arrange this as ‘Bangabandhu BPL’. The tournament is supposed to begin after two months but is bedeviled by complexities. The plan was to leave the franchisees and arrange the tournament with sponsors.
In the new format, the place of the franchisees will be taken by the sponsors though no declaration has come as yet over sponsors. The whole issue is opaque.
Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BCB) Director Jalal Yunus, said: “As far as I know, six companies expressed interest to be sponsors though their names have not been formally declared.”
When there is talk of the tournament being delayed, a BPL governing body member expressed astonishment and said: “Established tournaments which are held every year do not have changes in schedule because the year-long calendar has many tournaments.”
Franchisees had already made contracts with known international players but since the old format will not be followed, the contracts are now annulled.
The international cricketers have reacted sharply to this sudden change and there is a fear if foreign players will come to play in the BPL in the future.
An agent for foreign players, said: “I fear that if franchisees move away then we will see a return to a time when salaries and other matters became regular headaches for the players.”
Chief Executive of Rajshahi Kings, Tahmid Huque, said: “Even if BPL calls us, we cannot get involved because two months is not enough to form a cohesive team.”
Former Bangladesh team captain, Habibul Bashar, said: “BPL is a preparation for the T20 World Cup slated for next year and, therefore, its importance cannot be undermined.”
National team opener, Shahriar Nafis, says: “BPL is a big tournament and it’s crucial to ensure financial security of players and to give a chance to upcoming local players to showcase their talent.”