The national cricketers, led by skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, were united to press for a few demands and held a closed-door meeting in one of the dressing rooms
at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.
The Tigers intended to meet BCB president Nazmul Hasan but failed to do so as he was not at the office. They later met the acting chief executive officer, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, and voiced their concern over some burning issues.
They put emphasis on their due payments of the second edition of the Bangladesh Premier League and also the payment module to be followed by the clubs in the Dhaka Premier League.
Though no player was willing to open his mouth in front of the media regarding the discussion, it was learnt that they will boycott the DPL if the grading system is followed.
‘You (media) will know everything at the right time,’ Mushfiq told reporters after the meeting.
‘You will know about it in one or two days’ time,’ added Tamim Iqbal without elaborating further.
However, several sources confirmed that the players will shun the next edition of the DPL if the clubs opt to pick them through auction on the basis of their grades and price tags.
They strongly refuted the idea of introducing the auction system in the DPL, considering their experience regarding payment by their franchises in the cash-rich BPL as none of them received their promised amount till date.
The national stars in the Tigers’ camp also echoed the same sentiment of being underpriced after learning that the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis is considering reserving Tk 35 lakh for the Grade A players.
Some players who wished not to reveal their identities said the payment structure followed by the clubs in the DPL since its inception provides them with an opportunity to receive a substantial sum at the very beginning.
‘We are given a major portion of contract money during or before signing which is known as advance,’ said a national star who requested not to be named.
‘It also helps us plan our future as it is usually a hefty amount,’ he said.
Earlier, the major cricket clubs of the country demanded to adopt an auction system with gradation after some less-recognised players asked for sky-high prices for their services in the forthcoming edition.
They also refused to participate in the DPL without the presence of national cricketers during the month of March citing that their inclusion would make the league more competitive.
While only some of them are available after completing their international commitments, the long wait eventually pushed the league towards the corridors of uncertainty as the rainy season is set to begin.
The BCB and the representatives of different premier league clubs will assemble for a meeting today to resolve the crisis that has rendered the cricketers jobless.
-With New Age input
