The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Governing Council clarified that the exclusion of several players from Sunday’s auction is a BPL-specific measure aimed at ensuring fairness in the ongoing investigation and safeguarding the integrity of the tournament. The council emphasized that this restriction does not apply to any other domestic cricket events conducted under the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

“This is a BPL-specific measure taken to ensure fairness of the investigation process and to protect the integrity of the League. It does not apply to other domestic cricket events conducted under the jurisdiction of the BCB,” the BPL Governing Council said in a media release issued on Saturday.

The statement comes after eight Bangladeshi cricketers — Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Shofiul Islam, Alauddin Babu, Sunzamul Islam, Mizanur Rahman, Monir Hasan Khan, and Nihaduzzaman — were omitted from the final auction list. Their names were flagged during an ongoing investigation into suspected corruption related to the BPL.

Explaining the rationale behind the decision, the Governing Council highlighted the role of the BCB’s newly established Integrity Unit and the Independent Inquiry Committee, both overseen by the Unit’s Independent Chair, Alex Marshall.

“Earlier this month, the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) received the report of the Independent Inquiry Committee. Following this, all matters relating to potential corruption have been referred to the Board’s newly established Integrity Unit, which is overseen by the Unit’s Independent Chair, Alex Marshall. The Integrity Unit operates independently and is responsible for ensuring that issues of this nature are handled without interference,” the media release said.

The council further stressed the importance of maintaining the credibility of the tournament.

“The BCB takes all allegations of corruption extremely seriously. In preparing for BPL Season 12, the Governing Council received advice from the Independent Chair of the Integrity Unit on steps necessary to further safeguard the League. Based on that advice, a number of individuals, including some players, have not been invited to participate in this year’s tournament,” the release added.

The Governing Council also declined to comment on individual cases, noting the ongoing nature of the reviews, “We recognise the interest surrounding individual cases; however, it would be inappropriate to comment on any person while reviews or investigations may still be underway by the operationally independent Integrity Unit.”