Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal has defended the decision to postpone the 13th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, saying the tournament cannot continue in the same manner after years of payment and organisational problems.
Speaking after Thursday’s BCB working committee meeting, Tamim pointed to a series of issues surrounding recent editions of the tournament, including teams playing without signed contracts and unpaid dues involving players, hotels and transport providers.
“You tell me, what has been good on either side over the last two or three years? Teams have played without signing contracts, players have not been paid, transport bills have not been paid and hotel bills have not been paid,” Tamim said.
“Both sides cannot be at fault. If even one side had been doing things properly, I could have looked at it differently.”
The BCB had earlier indicated that it was considering not staging the next edition as part of plans to introduce a new model for the country’s premier franchise competition. Tamim, however, stressed that the BPL had not been scrapped permanently.
“Let me say it again, the BPL is not cancelled or abandoned. It has been postponed,” he said.
“We will make every possible effort to organise the BPL properly. Whatever needs to be done, we will try everything to host it in a better way.”
Tamim said the board wanted a cleaner and more accountable model, with both the BCB and the participating franchises fulfilling their respective responsibilities.
“We want to make a neat and clean effort to organise the BPL. The BCB will have to do its part properly and the franchises that come in will also have to do their part properly,” he said.
The BCB president acknowledged that the postponement would disappoint players, particularly those who rely heavily on the tournament for income, but said some difficult decisions were necessary.
“If it takes some time and causes some people difficulties or disappointment, that is absolutely okay. I agree that the players are disappointed, and they have every reason to be disappointed,” Tamim said.
“But there are certain decisions that I have to take, and I will take them. I will not think 30 times about what people may think or say because I have also seen what has happened over the last two or three years.”
The BCB is now considering a new domestic T20 competition, likely to be called Bangladesh First, to provide players with additional matches and earning opportunities during the BPL break.
