The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is set to enforce stricter anti-corruption measures in the upcoming Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, with mobile phone restrictions inside the Players and Match Officials (PMO) zone in line with ICC regulations.
According to ICC rules, no one except the team manager is allowed to carry a mobile phone inside the PMO zone during matches. The same protocol is followed in franchise leagues around the world, and it will now be strictly implemented in this season’s Dhaka Premier League, which begins on May 4 across six venues featuring 12 teams.
Speaking at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday, BCB president Tamim Iqbal said only team managers will be allowed to keep mobile phones inside the PMO zone during the tournament.
Ahead of the league’s sponsor announcement and trophy unveiling ceremony, Tamim said the board is introducing anti-corruption protocols similar to those followed in the Bangladesh Premier League.
“One thing we are introducing this time is the anti-corruption rules and regulations. In the BPL, once we got off the team bus, our phones were taken away. Only the team manager was allowed to keep a phone and communicate if needed. Players and coaches were not allowed to have phones. From this edition, we are starting to implement the same system in the Premier League,” Tamim said.
Although such regulations existed in the Premier League before, enforcement was not as strict. This time, both the BCB and the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) appear determined to ensure full compliance.
Tamim added that all required procedures are being followed in coordination with the Anti-Corruption Unit.
“We are very, very serious about these matters. There will be no room for any kind of leniency. We want to run it in the same way international cricket is conducted,” he said.
