More than eight months after the end of the second edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) many cricketers have yet to be paid for their services. Duronto Rajshahi’s opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and all-rounder Ziaur Rahman have requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to assist them as they seek full payment for their participation in the tournament. The cricketers have complained to the board that the franchise has only paid them 50 percent of their remuneration.
National opening batsman Tamim submitted a letter yesterday addressing the chairman of the BPL governing council Afzalur Rahman Sinha. In the letter he stated that after playing 10 out of 13 games he sustained an injury and eventually left the camp after taking permission from the team management.
The left-handed batsman complained that the franchise is using this as a reason to deny paying him the rest of the money owed to him.
“I have asked for help on the issue from the BPL Governing Council (GC) and that’s why I have written to them,” said Tamim.
Duronto Rajshahi chairman Mushfiqur Rahman Mohan told the media earlier this month that Tamim left the Rajshahi team without management’s permission and thus the franchise will not pay him in full.
However, during the tournament the same person told a Bengali national newspaper that Tamim was allowed to leave because he was injured and upon the BCB’s request the team management has allowed him to leave.
“I didn’t want to talk badly about him at that time because he is a national asset. I was silent on the matter then but now I am being forced to tell the truth. He left the team without informing any of us,” said Mohan to the media yesterday.
Ziaur Rahman, another cricketer of Rajshahi from the second season of BPL also has his payment pending from the franchise but interestingly the issue is different.
It was learnt that Duronto Rajshahi e-mailed the BPL GC to revise Ziaur’s payment because he failed to play the last three games for the team and that his performance wasn’t up to what was expected by the team management.
“I am absolutely fine if I am not paid for the three games that I was injured in but the point is they still owe me money even after that,” said Ziaur to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The right-handed all-rounder was surprised by the reason shown by the franchise. Ziaur also said that he received an e-mail from the franchise where he was asked to compromise some of his remuneration.
“They bought me for $137000 at the auction. I have received 50 percent of it and now they are asking me to compromise,” informed Ziaur.
“They have told me to compromise $37000 because I couldn’t perform. Yes I am sorry for that but this is not professional at all. I was a contracted cricketer of that team and my performance should have no effect on the remuneration, even the contract doesn’t say so,” said Zia.
