North Zone captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has called for the Dhaka Premier League to be staged in Rajshahi and Bogura, saying the two venues offer ideal conditions for competitive white-ball cricket.
Speaking after North Zone’s five-wicket loss to Central Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League one-day final on Tuesday, Shanto praised the quality of cricket in the league stage, which was held in Rajshahi and Bogura. The final, however, took place in Mirpur, where North posted 238 on a green surface before Central chased it down inside 38 overs.
Shanto said the response from fans in Rajshahi and Bogura was encouraging and believes hosting more matches there would benefit domestic cricket.
“The way supporters turned up and backed the players was impressive. Everyone enjoyed playing there. If the final had been held at one of those venues, the crowd could have been even better,” he said. “More matches, especially white-ball games, should be played in Rajshahi and Bogura. If the DPL is organised there, it would be very good.”
Shanto pointed to the balance between bat and ball during the BCL as a key takeaway. “We saw how competitive the tournament was. Both bowlers and batsmen had something from the wickets. If we want to improve our white-ball cricket, we should focus on playing more matches at these venues. That will help the overall standard of the team,” He added.
Bangladesh Test skipper also feels the conditions in Rajshahi and Bogura mirror international cricket. “The wickets there were sporting, which is what you expect in One-Day cricket. It was a strong tournament with four competitive teams, and it helped both batsmen and bowlers prepare well before international assignments,” he said.
