No possibility of BPL this year

Tamim Iqbal, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), has said the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will not be held this year, adding that the decision was taken as the board does not have adequate time to organize the tournament.

Tamim spoke about the BPL at the official announcement ceremony of the Game Development Trophy involving Bangladesh's under-17, under-19 and under-23 teams in Mirpur on Thursday. He was asked at the event whether the board had sufficient time to organise the BPL this year.

Replying to the question, Tamim said, "I don't think so. The BPL will not happen this year."

The BPL is one of the biggest sources of income for Bangladeshi cricketers, and Tamim acknowledged that players would suffer financially if the tournament is not held this year.

He said, "If I were a player, I too would be disappointed. I don't deny that they will suffer financial losses. But they also understand that this tournament should be held in a way the BCB can be proud of. Are we proud of what has happened in the last few years? Perhaps not."

The BCB president said he believes his views align with those of the players regarding the organisation of the BPL, noting that the players too want the tournament to be organised properly, and while the reasoning may differ, the core issue is running the BPL the right way.

Tamim said the BPL is a top-quality cricket product with immense interest among spectators and supporters, and that interest would grow further if the tournament is organised properly.

The tournament has been criticised since its inception over various issues, including complications regarding player payments, irregularities in franchise fee payments, and broadcasting-related problems. Tamim said the BCB incurred a loss of around Tk 40 crore from organising the BPL in the last two editions.

Since taking charge as president, Tamim has been unwilling to hold the BPL before putting everything in order, and he is prepared to take six to 12 months, if necessary, to prepare for the tournament.

Tamim said, "We have a thousand percent desire to hold the BPL. But I don't want to rush. I want to do it properly. If it takes six months or 12 months, I will take that time."

The BPL is usually held in December-January. Asked whether an alternative tournament would be organised if the BPL is not held during that period this time, Tamim said the board is working on a new schedule for domestic cricket.

He said once 60 to 70 percent of the work is complete, an announcement will be made on how the domestic cricket calendar will be arranged, adding that the new plan would be quite different and attractive.