The dark cloud hovering over the Dhaka Premier League refuses to go away as the competition’s future was pushed into further doubt after the recent feud between the
Bangladesh Cricket Board and the clubs over their grants.
The BCB appeared to eliminate doubts surrounding the league, which has been deferred several times following various calamitous situations, after it announced that the newly-introduced player recruitment programme would be held on July 25, followed by the league opener on August 29.
But even the latest BCB efforts proved to be inadequate when officials of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis postponed the meeting with the clubs on July 10, as some clubs opted not to sit for discussions unless their demands were met.
The clubs stated that they would not comply with the CCDM regarding the forthcoming league unless they were assured of the payments promised to them by BCB president Nazmul Hasan.
The situation was compounded further when Nazmul denied having made any financial commitments to the clubs in front of the media on Thursday.
It was learned that several clubs were reluctant to participate in the player transfer and recruitment programme as per the new dates announced by the BCB.
Some analysts observed that things would not get any better after Eid-ul-Fitr as most of the high-profile businessmen, upon whom some of the clubs’ fates depend, will largely be preparing for the upcoming national election.
The date of the imminent BCB election is also expected to be announced soon, which will only hamper the league’s efforts to make headway as many club officials will be busy trying to get their candidates elected.
It is thought that, if the DPL were to be cancelled this year, neither the policy makers of the BCB nor the club officials would particularly suffer, but that the cricketers would endure tremendous hardship; a cause for concern for many players.
Former national player Tushar Imran, a prominent figure in the domestic arena, said that it would be nothing less than a disgrace if the league did not take place and believes that it would take domestic cricket backwards.
‘If there is no players’ transfer this month, there is hardly any scope for this year’s league to take place as there won’t be any room on the calendar,’ said Tushar, ‘Considering everything, we are really worried about the league’s prospects.’
‘I really don’t understand why there is a rift between the clubs and the BCB now because, in most cases, the
club officials are the ones involved with the board,’ he continued.
‘All said and done, it will be the players who suffer the most if there are no cricket matches,’ he added.
When contacted, several other cricketers echoed the same sentiment.
-With New Age input
