BPL axed, match fees set for hike

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the country's first franchise-based cricket tournament, has now become a subsidy-dependent event.

According to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal, the board spent nearly Tk40cr on subsidies in the last three editions. After facing criticism on various issues, the BCB has decided to move away from the tournament.

The board will not organise the BPL in the coming cricket season. BCB president Tamim Iqbal recently announced the decision.

Local cricketers earn a significant amount of money from the BPL. If the tournament is not held, one of their major sources of income will also disappear. However, the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) has welcomed the BCB's decision not to hold the tournament.

After a meeting with the BCB president and directors on Tuesday, CWAB president Mohammad Mithun said, “The players have suffered financially, and that loss cannot be made up. I am sure everyone will admit that it is impossible to fully recover this loss. Since Covid, both the Premier League and the BPL have become irregular. Every year we have to deal with different payment-related issues. Our request to the cricket board is that players should not have to depend on the BPL or the Premier League to support their families.”

National team opener Saif Hassan also expressed satisfaction with the board’s plans after the meeting with the board president.

“The BCB has a very good plan for us. It will benefit not only BPL players but also all the cricketers playing domestic cricket,” the right-hander mentioned.

As an alternative to the BPL, the BCB's tournament committee is planning a six-team package featuring three tournaments. The board is also moving forward with the process of selling ownership rights of the six teams.

CWAB president, however, has proposed increasing match fees in those tournaments as well as in the National Cricket League (NCL).

 “Our proposal includes increasing match fees in the tournaments that will be held so that players can live comfortably throughout the year,” he cited.

Although the BPL will not be held, Mithun believes more cricketers will benefit under the new system.

“We are not thinking only about 50 to 70 players. We have taken this decision considering how 150 to 200 players can benefit in the future and how the system can remain sustainable,” he said.

An official present at the meeting said match fees in BCB tournaments are set to increase. The matter will be finalised at the board's next meeting.

After becoming the BCB president, the former international increased the match fee for four-day National Cricket League matches from Tk75,000 to Tk1,00,000. Following CWAB's proposal, the amount could rise further.

The current match fees for NCL one-day and T20 matches are Tk50,000 and Tk40,000 respectively. 

Mithun said they have also received assurance from the BCB president that the match fees in both formats will be increased.