Aminul Haque, Bangladesh’s state minister for youth and sports, announced on Sunday that the government will meet with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to discuss the future of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the nation’s only franchise-based T20 tournament.
Board decision and player impact
BCB president Tamim Iqbal recently stated that the board would not proceed with the BPL until issues affecting the tournament’s credibility are resolved. While franchise owners largely supported the decision, it caused significant anxiety among cricketers who rely on the league as a primary income source. To mitigate financial instability, the BCB subsequently increased match fees for domestic cricket.
Ministerial response
- Aminul Haque expressed surprise at the postponement, stating, “I only got to know from you (media) just now, I wasn’t aware BPL will not take place. BPL is a popular tournament for Bangladesh.”
- Regarding the board’s rationale, he noted, “You’re saying the board president presented some logical reasons to you all. I think a tournament like the BPL should be held every year.”
- The minister emphasized the need for dialogue, adding, “Why it didn’t happen, we need to discuss. We will obviously monitor in future that this kind of competition takes place regularly.”
