‘We’re playing for free’

Bangladesh spinner and Rangpur Riders skipper Abdur Razzak added some extra fuel to the Bangladesh Premier League payment issue on Thursday saying that they are playing virtually for free and this is having an impact on their performance.
‘We are playing free of cost. Naturally it can affect our performance as well,’ Razzak told reporters after his side’s five-wicket loss to Sylhet Royals on Thursday.
‘The foreign players are feeling insecure. When you are preparing for a match and you are bothered by these types of issues it will surely distract you,’ Razzak said.
Razzak’s comments came at a time when the players’ international body FICA has warned that players may pull out from the tournament if no payment was made immediately by the franchises.
‘The players are very seriously considering some sort of boycott simply because there is little else they can do,’ FICA chief executive Tim May was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.
While the BPL governing council said they hardly care about what the FICA says, they themselves are worried about the issue.
‘Franchises must make the payment immediately otherwise we will have to take some sort of action,’ BPL governing council secretary Ismail Haider Mallick told reporters on Thursday.
With the last deadline ending on January 31, Mallick said only two franchises made the money available to them and after some formalities they will transfer the money to the accounts of players.
Razzak said they are yet to sign any contract and were promised to pay some money only when they reach Dhaka next week.
‘Everyone playing here is professional cricketer but till now we have yet to sign our contract papers,’ said Razzak.
‘Unless that is done a sense of insecurity will remain. The franchise told us that they would pay us by the second round after reaching Dhaka.’