The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Wednesday paid the partial dues of the players of Dhaka Premier League clubs Kalabagan Cricket Academy and Coaching school while Victoria Sporting Club and Brothers Union players remained unpaid and uncertain. The board paid the KCA players 30 per cent and the CCS players 52 per cent of their total payment, completing the 60 per cent they were supposed to be paid by June 9, when the league’s first phase ended, reports cricinfo.com.
The BCB had instructed the clubs to pay the players 30 per cent of their full payment before the start of the league, the next 30 per cent at the end of the first phase, and the remaining 40 per cent six weeks after the end of the Super League.
Players and officials from Abahani Limited, Gazi Group Cricketers, Kalabagan Krira Chakra, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Legends of Rupganj, Prime Bank Cricket Club and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club confirmed that they had received 60 per cent of their payment, and were awaiting the rest in the next five weeks.
Some of the Mohammedan Sporting Club players were waiting for the second installment but most of the players had been paid the amount due.
CCS captain Rajin Saleh said he received a check from an officer of Cricket committee of Dhaka Metropolis. He said he received 52 per cent of his total payment from the board, in addition to the eight per cent he had received from CCS during the league.
‘The BCB has paid the CCS players today,’ Rajin said. ‘We are quite relieved because now we have at least the first 60 per cent of the payment. We will tell the club that if they pay us another 10 per cent, we will let go of the remaining money.’
KCA captain Mahmudul Hasan also confirmed the website that many of his team-mates had received cheques from the board. BCB director Jalal Yunus said the BCB considered paying players from these two clubs first because of their plight during the league.
He also said that KCA and CCS would have to reimburse the BCB the full amount it paid on behalf of their clubs.
‘We have paid players from these two clubs as they have suffered the most during the league, ‘said Jalal.
‘We have informed both clubs that they have to reimburse the BCB the exact payment. Otherwise we will have to take action against them.’
However, the BCB and the players from Victoria and Brothers Union remained unaware about their payment. It was learned that the clubs had told the board that they would make the payment themselves, but as of Wednesday the players had not been given the remaining money.
‘The payment issue with Victoria and Brothers is unlikely to be resolved before Eid. The clubs told the BCB that they would pay the players but so far the players haven’t been paid,’ a BCB official said. ‘I think the board will wait until after Eid before paying the players,’ he added.
Brothers Union batsman Shahriar Nafees said they were owed 30 per cent by the club. ‘The Brothers Union club authorities have assured us that they are going to pay us as soon as they have funds,’ said Shahriar. ‘The BCB too have told us that they will do all they can to get the clubs to pay us. We also prefer that the clubs pay us. It has become quite difficult for many of the players, because Eid is coming up.’
The situation is most difficult for the Victoria players. On June 14, they wanted to meet the BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury but were stopped by their club president Nisar Uddin Ahmed’s promise that they would be paid up to 60 per cent by the next day.
The payment was not made and it prompted the BCB president Nazmul Hassan to give the clubs the 72-hour deadline on June 19.
-With New Age input
