The eight National Cricket League captains met at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday to discuss the tournament ahead of its October 3 start, with the conversations extending beyond the seven-round competition to the development of Bangladesh’s first-class cricket.
The 28th NCL will feature eight divisional teams, each playing seven matches. Kookaburra will replace the Duke ball used in recent editions, while the BCB has also introduced a baggy-cap ceremony as part of efforts to give greater recognition to divisional cricket.
For Sylhet captain Zakir Hasan, the improved financial support and new emphasis on first-class cricket can help players outside the national team compete at a higher level.
“My last two or three years, I have been thinking that a player should be able to run his family by playing first-class cricket. For those who are new or are not yet national-team or top-category players, I think it is now possible to have the finances needed to compete with the top category.”
Zakir also linked the changes to the long-term pathway towards Test cricket, arguing that first-class cricket needs greater recognition.
“Test culture has not really come through because we could not establish first-class cricket in that way. People do not appreciate first-class cricket that much. But without first-class cricket, nobody can play Test cricket.”
His immediate target is also personal. After losing his place in the national side, Zakir sees the NCL as his route back, but does not want to burden himself with a specific outcome.
“This is the platform. I am not in the national team now, so my only platform is first-class cricket. My focus will be to perform in first-class cricket and give the message to the national team that I am always ready when that place becomes available.”
The ball change will add another technical element to the competition. Chattogram captain Yasir Ali sees little difference for spinners between Kookaburra and Duke and believes accuracy should remain the priority.
“I do not think there is much difference between Kookaburra and Duke for spinners. Personally, my experience is the same. As a spinner, the main target is how you can bowl in one place for a long time. Getting wickets is very tough on Bangladesh wickets, so spinners should focus more on their accuracy than the difference between the balls.”
For Khulna captain Mohammad Mithun, the bigger challenge is raising the standard of first-class cricket itself. He made his debut in 2006 and says the domestic game has taken too long to reach its current level.
“First-class cricket should have reached this place much earlier. Unfortunately, it did not. Now it has happened, and from today we want to start this. We all want a new Bangladesh. Our Test team is playing well. At the same time, we will try to make our first-class cricket reach that standard.”
Mithun also pointed to the loss of several established bowlers as a reason behind Khulna’s recent struggles and said the division is trying to rebuild its bowling strength.
Barishal captain Iftekhar Hossain Ifti, meanwhile, takes charge of a side that finished fifth last season but came close to a much stronger finish. He wants to use the experience of senior players to push the team forward.
“If you see last year, if we had won the last match, we could have been champions or runners-up. We finished fifth. I will try, now that I have the responsibility, to make the team better. I will communicate with the seniors and try to make it better.”
The captains will now turn those ambitions into performances when the NCL begins on October 3.
