BCB chief warns BPL franchisees
Teams will have to pay dues before signing new agreement
Sports Reporter, Dhaka
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Governing Council will sit with the two existing franchisees to discuss about the new four-year agreement on the first day of the three-day-long meeting in Mirpur today. The meeting will be held at the BCB-management office of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) at 2:00pm.
On the opening day, Rangpur Riders and Khulna Titans will sit with the BPL Governing Council, while Dhaka Dynamites and Rajshahi Kings will do on the second day (Monday). Therefore, they will hold discussions with Comilla Victorians on the third day.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon warned BPL franchisees to clear the due, stating that they will not sign the new agreement if anyone is defaulted for any reason.
The agreement will newly be signed with the franchisees after the six-year agreement expired. So far as I know and what I have heard two franchisees had due. Already they paid fifty percent of their due, said Nazmul Hassan Papon.
They have to pay their due. There is no escape from it. The next four-year contract will not be done if they dont clear their arrears, no doubt, Papon told media after coming out from a closed-door meeting at the SBNCS in Mirpur yesterday.
There is no question of signing the new contract if anyone is default for any reason, he added.
BCB president said that the existing franchisees will get priority in the new agreement, which will be four-season contract.
In the meantime, one franchisee informed us not to continue. So, a new franchisee will come in place of it. But the rules and regulations of the six-year first phase was coming from the beginning edition. Weve tried to correct where we see any problem or difficulty. But the second what is about to start will be clean. There will be no confusion about it.
The president lashed heavily at the BPL franchisees, claiming that they never swap the rules and regulation of the domestic T20 tournament.
Citing some instances of Comilla Victorians and Chittagong Vikings, he rather claimed that its franchisees who break the rules for which the BCB had to intervene on several occasions.
The franchisees started recruiting players before the announcement of the players retention policy. Shakib Al Hasan moved to Rangpur Riders from Dhaka Dynamites while Tamim Iqbal joined Khulna Titans from Comilla Victorians. Mushfiqur Rahim changed his tent and penned papers with Comilla Victorians from Chittagong Vikings.
Other players also changed teams, which angered BCB and later announced all the new agreement invalid.
We never changed the rules of the BPL. Rather the franchisees have broken those on several times. They are changing it, though there is the restriction of retention. But this cant happen because it is not in the rule book. We just did not let them break the rules, he said.
Last time there was criticism about Steve Smith. We did not bring Smith, franchise signed him and other franchisees later complained about it. So we had to intervene, he also said.
And the final where Comilla franchise said they would not play. If they are not interested to play, its not our problem. They claimed to be the winner, but we cant announce like that. Its not in the rule. Then, both the franchisees agreed to play the next day, he concluded.
