The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will not be held this season, with Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal making it clear that he is unwilling to stage the franchise tournament without first addressing its financial and organisational problems.
The decision also brings some clarity to Bangladesh’s congested domestic calendar, particularly the National Cricket League (NCL) T20, whose schedule had been uncertain while the BPL’s status remained unresolved.
The BCB on Thursday announced the introduction of the Game Development Cup, a new age-group competition featuring Under-17, Under-19 and Under-23 teams. Speaking at the announcement, Tamim was asked about the BPL and reiterated his position on how the tournament should be run.
“I have indicated several times that I don’t want to organise the BPL this way,” he said.
The BPL has traditionally occupied the December-January window, while the NCL T20 has also faced criticism over its scheduling in recent seasons. Last year, the domestic T20 competition was held before the BPL, and the BCB had initially considered a similar arrangement this year.
With the BPL now unlikely to take place, the December-January window could instead provide an opportunity to stage the NCL T20. Its schedule had remained uncertain because of the possibility of the BPL going ahead.
Tamim, however, stressed that the BCB has not abandoned plans for the BPL permanently. He said the board wants to complete the franchise process much earlier and avoid the last-minute arrangements that have caused problems in previous editions.
“We want to complete all the franchise processes by April-May. Previously, everything was done at the very last moment. We want to lock in the franchises with enough time so that if anyone defaults, we have time to look for alternatives,” he said.
The absence of the BPL could also affect players financially, as the tournament provides an important source of income for many domestic cricketers. Tamim acknowledged that concern.
“If I were a player, I would be disappointed too. I don’t disagree that they will suffer financially,” he said.
