The Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan on Friday promised to look an alternative for controversial ‘players’ by choice’ system for the Dhaka Premier League.
Amid huge pressure from the participating clubs, the BCB brought back the lottery-based transfer system for this season much to the chagrin of players, who were denied of a chance of bargaining.
The system, in which the club that gets the first draw will have the first choice to pick players from certain category, was introduced in 2012-13, but Nazmul had promised never to bring it back.
‘Personally I feel players’ by choice is not a good option,’ Nazmul told reporters at his residence on Friday.
‘Clubs will take the players and it is up to them how they will do it. The Board should not get involved in this selection process. It is my personal observation.
‘They had problems during that time [in 2012-13] and came to us. I did not like it even then and that is why I said that it won’t continue for long.
‘Even this time they came to me and 90 per cent from CCDM [Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis] and 80 per cent around the Board pleaded for just one last opportunity’, he said.
Nazmul said that the arrival of corporate bodies in the DPL is one of the reasons behind taking up such policy as clubs are unable to match them financially.
‘Earlier, there was a rivalry between Abahani and Mohammedan,’ said Nazmul.
‘Later Gazi Tanks [Legends of Rupganj] entered followed by Prime Bank. No clubs can match their fund as far as spending money is concerned.
‘Along with them when Abahani, Mohammedan or Sheikh Jamal came up with some funds it became an uneven contest for others,’ said Nazmul. ‘The rate of the players went to an unimaginable height.
‘As they have said that it will be the last time, let’s see where we stand. But it cannot continue as a long term policy.
‘I have got some ideas to prevent top clubs from taking up all the players and hope to implement it. But the transfer should be open,’ he added.
The 12 Premier League clubs will pick their choice of players who will be divided into eight categories – Icon (fixed salary of Tk 30 lakh), A+ (fixed salary of Tk 25 lakh), A (Tk 20 lakh), B+ (Tk 15 lakh), B (Tk 12 lakh), C (Tk 8 lakh), D (Tk 5 lakh) and E (Tk 3.5 lakh).
As the clubs can retain two players from their squad, the two newcomers — Cricket Coaching School and Gazi Tank will have the first opportunity to call their shots.
Once they pick two players each the lottery system will come into effect.
In each round, the club that gets the first draw will have the first choice to pick players. Each round will have a separate lottery.
The CCDM will hold a meeting today to finalise the other details of the draft, scheduled for April. The Dhaka Premier League, once regarded as the lifeline of local cricket, is set to get underway on April 22.
-With New Age input
