‘Obviously it is the Board’s responsibility’- BCB on step in to deal with BPL payment failure

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), acknowledging that it is ultimately responsible for the problem, has formally stepped in to address the ongoing payment dilemma in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The board was forced to intervene in this case following a string of financial conflicts involving teams, such as Durbar Rajshahi, whose players have protested over unpaid salaries and returned checks.

When Durbar Rajshahi’s players skipped a practice because they weren’t paid, and when its international players declined to go for a planned match against Rangpur Riders on January 26, the scandal started. The fact that several checks made out to players had bounced made matters worse.

The BPL’s requirement that a playing XI must include at least two foreign players was broken as a result of Rajshahi having an all-local team.

The BPL governing council permitted the match to go forward in spite of the violation, which is unprecedented in the tournament’s history. Najmul Hasan Papon, a member of the BPL governing council and the secretary of the BCB, said that the board must accept accountability.

“It is evident that the Board bears ultimate accountability for it. We cannot hold someone else accountable, but we could have viewed the situation differently. Even yet, the events were somewhat surprising. Nevertheless, we must accept accountability.

“Of course, these factors will be taken into account when we do anything similar. We are aware of the unique circumstances, but we were unsure of our ability to accomplish BPL and the number of teams involved. Regarding what transpired, there is still no justification. Numerous occurrences have occurred that should not have occurred, and we have no justifications. But we can be sure that this type of occurrence won’t happen again in the future,” Najmul said.

Whether or not a cricket player is a member of the national squad, they are all like our children: Najmul Hasan Papon

Najmul went on to say that although the BCB did not anticipate this kind of financial mismanagement from a franchise, it would make sure that such occurrences do not happen in subsequent tournaments.

“We didn’t think a franchise would be interested in acquiring a club and then putting itself in this predicament. That was not what we anticipated. We brought up these concerns with them after observing certain actions that didn’t fit the BPL’s values. We also discussed issues related to payments. After talking about their plans, we have come to some understanding. “There are seven days left,” he said.

Furthermore, because Durbar Rajshahi has not fulfilled financial obligations, including as unpaid player salaries and team hotel costs, the BCB is currently looking into legal options against him.

It’s terribly regrettable. My mind never even considered the problem of checks bouncing. The majority of franchises have fulfilled their financial obligations, while one or two have fallen short. Unfortunately, a few franchises’ failures have overshadowed the wonderful work of others,” Najmul Hasan Papon continued.

It was not just Durbar Rajshahi that was affected by the crisis. National cricketer Parvez Hossain Emon’s allegation that he had not received any payment from the Chittagong Kings as of January 23 further raised doubts about the team. The dispute intensified when team owner Sameer Quader Chowdhury made contentious remarks in response to Emon’s worries, claiming that the player needed to establish himself first and that money does not sprout on trees. Every cricket player, whether or not they represent their country, deserves respect and prompt compensation, Najmul underlined.

“Whether or not a cricket player is a member of the national squad, they are all like our children. Since the BPL is played with well-known cricket players, we are concerned if someone acts inappropriately toward anyone. Seeing a cricket player from the national squad deal with such issues did not sit well with us. He concluded, “We were surprised that someone would make such a statement.