Lower division cricket leagues in Dhaka are finally set to see the light.
Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed while speaking to the media Wednesday informed that the leagues are scheduled to roll on the field in November this year, while the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League is slated for March 2022.
Bangladesh Cricket Board had suspended all cricketing activities in the country in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The sport involving the national team and other top domestic competitions returned gradually to the field, but the lower division leagues are yet to see any action.
Cricketers in First, Second and Third division leagues in Dhaka have been struggling financially and many players chose alternate options to earn their livelihoods.
The announcement from the CCDM boss, as a result, will come as a relief to the struggling cricketers.
“We [CCDM] have been able to complete the Dhaka Premier League successfully and at this moment it has become important for us to get First, Second and Third division cricket back to the field. We already had discussion on this and we are working on the coordination at the moment. We want to start the First, Second and Third division cricket in November-December. We have already planned to meet all the clubs like we do every year. We will soon sit with clubs of all the divisions. We need to set the dates to play the tournament within the cricket season which is November, December, January and February,” said Inam to the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
BCB director Inam said the tournaments will follow the Covid-19 guidelines set by the government and as per suggestions of the BCB and CCDM.
“The country is slowly returning to normal now. Every sector is open. There is no lockdown and even the schools and colleges are open. But there is a guideline given by the government so we will see the guidelines and follow those in the lower division leagues and also take suggestions from the BCB and CCDM,” said Inam.
Elaborating on the upcoming season of the DPL, Inam said the chief goal is to have the tournament in a proper cricket season, and that the tournament will return to its old form, which is 50-over cricket.
“We want to have the Premier League in March-April because we want the tournament to happen within the cricket season. The board will soon start the National Cricket League which will be followed by BPL T20 and then we will have the Dhaka Premier League.
“Dhaka Premier League will be played in 50-over format. Last year we had a very small window for which we had to complete the tournament by playing in T20 format. We held even four matches in a day which is not normal. Dhaka Premier League is List A recognized tournament and one-day international has been our number one format. Premier League is a traditional competition and one of the most popular leagues of the country, so we will have to return to its own format, which is 50-over cricket,” said Inam.