Four overs of leg spin, and 140kph quickies
The seventh version of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the premium T20 competition in the country, has already been dubbed as a special BPL. Deviating from the core nature of the franchise-based tournament, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to arrange the tourney on its own steam after failing to resolve conflicts with the former franchises. The BCB are also set to run the tournament in the name of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to commemorate his 100th birth anniversary. Those were not the end of the changes; plenty of new innovations are in the offing. The BPL governing council (GC) was exuberant about the enrolment of around 400 foreign cricketers. BCB director Mahbub Anam, flanked by GC chairman Sheikh Sohel and BCB media committee chairman Jalal Yunus, disclosed some unique initiatives for the upcoming tournament while talking to reporters at Mirpur yesterday, after a meeting with the representatives of four interested sponsors. They however informed that they were yet to fix a date for the draft, which they said would be determined in the next GC meeting. The GC also said that the tournament may be deferred by seven to 10 days from the earlier announced kick-off date of December 6. Sohel assured that there will be no shortage of colour in the opening ceremony of the special BPL. The unique initiatives are as below:**It will imitate the model of the Big Bash League.
**It will imitate the model of the Big Bash League.
**Every team will get a foreign coach as well as foreign physio and trainer. Local coaches can only play the role of assistant coach. The intention is to bring balance in the team's strength. And the GC has already gotten a huge response from foreign coaches.
** There will be a team director for every team and they will be selected from the BCB directors.
**As per the desire of the national team management, the GC will make it mandatory for the team to include a leg-spinner in the playing eleven and a team must ensure that the leg-spinner gets a chance to bowl four overs.
**The GC also set a target to bring fast bowlers from abroad who can bowl above 140mph.
** A sponsor will be able to hire any additional foreign player outside the draft.
** The company that will finally get the rights of sponsoring the team will enjoy benefits similar to those received bythe national team's sponsor.
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