The future of both Dhaka Premier League and outgoing national skipper Mushfiqur Rahim will be decided at the emergency meeting of the Bangladesh Cricket Board tomorrow. The traditional 50-over format league of the country, in which the top 12 Dhaka clubs participate, has been in jeopardy for awhile now. First, it was the absence of the national team cricketers which delayed the tournament, with the clubs wanting to wait for their return before starting. Then it was the decision of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) to introduce players auction that triggered tension between cricketers and the organisers. The regular cricketers have already expressed their dissatisfaction for the new system to both the board and CCDM while the national team were touring Zimbabwe. Upon their return, certain leading national cricketers said they were looking forward to discuss the proposed scheme of players’ auctions with the concerned authorities, as it will likely reduce their earnings. A few of the leading cricketers were supposed to meet high officials from the board before the agenda is raised at the meeting. The cricketers did in fact, visit the board yesterday but no one from Sher-e-Bangla could confirm of there having been any official meeting. “Yes the issue is an agenda for the meeting on Tuesday but the (national) cricketers didn’t meet us yet. The president (Nazmul Hasan Papon) is in Singapore now and will be back by tomorrow (today). We will have the meeting with the representatives of the clubs then,” said Jalal Younus, CCDM Chairman and director of BCB. CCDM plans to start the tournament in June but before that, the authority will have settle a number of issues, including the demand by the clubs for money owed to them from the last season. The organisers owe Tk350,000 each to the first six teams from the season 2012-13 and Tk250,000 each for the last six. While not on the official agenda, Mushfiqur Rahim’s possible extension of as captain might also be discussed at the meeting. “His (Mushfiq) contract with the board as the national team captain ended along with the Zimbabwe tour this month. The issue is discussable but not an agenda for the meeting. We have another three to four months before the next international tour,” said Sajjadul Alam, member of BCB ad hoc committee. Sajjadul went on to dismiss speculations about the reasons behind Mushfiq’s resignation as captain near the end of the Zimbabwe tour. The report submitted by Sajjadul, who was the board delegate for the tour, termed the decision to be “personal” and termed all the suspicions and rumors of dressing room tensions playing a role as “baseless”.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
