Shanto backs Rajshahi and Bogura as DPL venues

A day after their five-wicket defeat to Central Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) final, North Zone captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said on Tuesday that the country’s premier 50-over competition, the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL), should be staged in Rajshahi and Bogura, where conditions encourage competitive, high-scoring cricket.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board used Rajshahi and Bogura for the league stage of the BCL one-day tournament, which witnessed several high-scoring 50-over contests. However, Mirpur hosted the final, where North posted 238 while batting first on a green Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium wicket. Central chased down the target comfortably inside 38 overs with five wickets in hand.

“The way the supporters came and supported the players there, everyone enjoyed it. If the final had been there, maybe there would have been even better crowds. But again, I would say that in Rajshahi and Bogura, especially at these two venues, more matches should be held, especially white-ball cricket. If the DPL is held there, it would be very good,” Shanto said at the post-match press conference.

“We all saw how competitive the BCL was. Both bowlers and batsmen got help. So if we want to improve our white-ball cricket, I think we should focus more on these two venues and play more matches there. If we can do that, I think the whole team will benefit,” he added.

Shanto also highlighted that the wickets in Rajshahi and Bogura helped players replicate international match conditions.

“It was a very good tournament for us. Every year, the BCL is very competitive, and if you look at it, all four teams are very strong sides. So in terms of preparation, I would say we had a good tournament before playing an international series. I think the batsmen and bowlers were able to prepare properly,” he said.

“And the conditions we played in, especially in Rajshahi and Bogura, we saw very good cricket at these two venues because they were sporting wickets, which is normally what you expect in one-day cricket everywhere. So that was a positive aspect. Overall, I would say the entire tournament was excellent,” he added.