CCDM bids to recover lost charm of DPL

The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, the only first-class 50-over tournament of the country, has been losing its charm over the years. Poor timing of the tournament, controversial umpiring and venues like BKSP and Fatullah which are out of the reach of the general public have been the reasons for the tournament’s declining popularity. The newly formed Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis led by its chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed is however, determined to turn the tables around and give back the tournament its lost charm. Though a final decision will come in a CCDM meeting to be held on January 3 next year, Inam informed that they are looking to hold the tournament from January 20 onwards. Unavailability of the national cricketers has been a big issue in the past due to which majority of the clubs denied to participate. The tournament starting from mid-January will mean the national cricketers will be busy with the tri-nation series, followed by the Sri Lanka series, but this should not stop the tournament from taking place, explained the CCDM chairman. The 12 DPL clubs will have the players by choice system to form their respective teams and the event will be held 10 to 12 days ahead of the tournament. The clubs will also have the option to retain four cricketers from last season. “Many of the clubs have requested for players by choice. We are expecting to have the tournament in January-February and I think the national cricketers will not be available. So we decided that the clubs would retain four cricketers from last season,” said Inam to the media Tuesday. Players by choice, first introduced in the DPL in the year 2014, has been heavily criticized, given that the players are improperly graded. As a result, the players lost out on handsome remuneration in the DPL, which is the source of bread and butter to many of the cricketers.

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“We have also thought of the cricketers alongside the clubs. We know that the DPL is the main source of income for many cricketers. We are looking to have a proper grading of the players so that they are rightly paid,” stated the CCDM chairman. The CCDM has already asked the national selection panel to prepare the grading list of the cricketers. The players’ grading will be based on what he had drawn last season and there will be very little scope to complain. Inam informed that the CCDM plans to have a T20 league right after the 50-over tournament. The tournament will comprise only the Super League teams or the top eight teams. The T20 tournament is being planned to be televised live and Inam believes such tournament will attract some attention and boost the premier league teams to bag sponsorships. To cut down controversy with the umpires, the CCDM had a meeting with the BCB umpires committee. “We are trying to set a standard with the umpires not only in the DPL but also in 1st and 2nd division cricket. We have seen and read lots of controversies with umpires and we want to cut that down. This way, the standard of the matches will improve and also benefit the cricketers. We want good cricket,” added Inam. In terms of venue, the CCDM has the intention to hold the big matches at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. “Grounds inside Dhaka have been a problem for the past few years but we will try to have some matches at least inside Dhaka, especially at Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium. Besides the premier league, we will try to have matches from the 1st division league in Dhaka city on a regular basis. We will sit with the city corporation and find out the fields in Dhaka city which we can use for premier league, 1st division and 2nd division cricket,” concluded Inam.