Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
The Bangladesh Cricket Board is set to organize a women’s Bangladesh Premier League immediately following the conclusion of the current men’s edition, as confirmed by board director and BPL member secretary Nazmul Abedin Fahim.
Speaking to reporters in Chattogram on Friday, Fahim revealed that the tournament will feature three teams in a one-off Women’s BPL.
‘The plan is to conduct it with three teams,’ Fahim stated. ‘It will take place soon after the [Men’s] BPL concludes, lasting around eight to nine days. We’ve already discussed this with some franchises, and they’re keen to participate.’
The three teams will compete in two rounds, with each round consisting of two matches. The top two teams from the group stage will then advance to the final.
Fahim also mentioned that each team will be allowed to include one foreign player in their eleven. He added, ‘Initially, we decided that each team would have 15 local players, while the foreign quota remains flexible.’
All matches will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. According to Fahim, this will be ‘beneficial for the exposure of this tournament.’
The board director elaborated on the decision to limit the tournament to three teams.
‘To organize a quality tournament, you need quality players. This wouldn’t be feasible with more than three teams. We considered having four teams, but that posed a challenge,’ he explained.
‘Our goal wasn’t just to create a tournament for profit. We aimed to enhance the game. We believe that a three-team format will foster competitiveness,’ he added.
Fahim expressed hope that the Women’s BPL would advance women’s cricket in the country.
‘We want to see the impact on women’s cricket,’ said Fahim. ‘We hope it will propel women’s cricket forward.’
He also assured that the Women’s BPL would not encounter the issues faced by the Men’s edition, such as unpaid salaries.
‘It goes without saying,’ said the veteran cricket coach and analyst.
‘We’ll try to work on the technical and financial issues carefully,’ said Fahim.
‘There were many questions regarding this BPL about whether we would have organised it. Many franchises left after the revolution. We took a risk. There’s no doubt that there are some sectors where we couldn’t do it properly. But I hope that this will be sorted out,’ he further added.
