Franchise favouritism or inconsistency?

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to enter a new paradigm of doing things in its own inconspicuous way for the upcoming seventh edition of the tournament. The BPL Governing Council disclosed a new four-year cycle, however, their communication seems arbitrary seeing as how everything is going to change after a fresh reality was set during a press conference in Mirpur on August 4. The technical aspect of the new cycle was sound, but the process and the inauspicious issue regarding the timing and communication is set to throw the BPL into further disarray. Given the BPL's history, the franchises might want to count their lucky stars seeing as the Governing Council did not communicate these paradigm-shifting changes 15 days ahead of the tournament.

Essentially, the Governing Council have now communicated that everything is going to change, including players' contracts and also the BPL's agreements with franchises themselves. The sixth edition marked the end of the first cycle and the second four-year cycle will be played under different rules.

However, is there enough time for the franchises to settle into this new realm just three months before the season starts?

During the press conference on Sunday, BCB director Mahbubul Anam spoke about the maturity of the governing council after completing their first cycle. However, the start of the new proceedings still only reeks of the BPL's image of inconsistency.

Things came to a head when the BPL organising committee communicated that Shakib Al Hasan's move to Rangpur Riders from Dhaka Dynamites has not been endorsed by the governing council. However when the BPL governing council sent a letter to franchise owners on May 11 this year, there was no mention of either the four-year cycle or the fact that icon players cannot move arbitrarily due to the changes set to take place. The governing council only requested the franchise owners to make 'necessary preparations and make payments of previous dues [if any]' in that letter. That Shakib's move has been rendered null, points to favouritism which could further tear asunder BPL's image.

"When we spoke to them after the last season, they assured us that everything would be done as per usual because the [new] agreement was a formality," Rangpur Riders CEO Ishtiaque Sadeque told The Daily Star.

The new agreement was by no means a 'formality' as Shakib's move was not endorsed but at no point was it clarified by the governing council that the franchises cannot 'prepare' for the upcoming season by acquiring players. When questions are raised about whether or not the changes will benefit one franchise or the other, it does not bode well for the marketability of the tournament.

The BPL tournament is essentially a big money-spinning endeavour and it is supposed to bring in financial opportunities for those involved. The marketing part of the tournament cannot be overemphasized since it is through marketing that the franchises and the tournament as a whole can begin to create the necessary hype and excitement at the start of a new season. The current situation will not lure franchise owners to make the investments that pull in the crowds.

Following the match-fixing scandal of 2013, the BPL needed a fresh start without controversies but there have been many instances that raised questions. Since 2016, icon players have been free to move from their previous franchises. In fact, rule changes were there after 2016 as well. In 2016 only two local players could be retained but in 2017 four local players could be retained. Players like Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Mushfiqur Rahim moved to Rangpur Riders and Rajshahi Kings respectively in 2016 and there have been movements from icons each season and these matters have always caused much controversy.

For the next four-year cycle, the (former) franchise owners have now requested for more consistency in rules and regulations. The tournament organisers had claimed that the Indian Premier League's standards was the benchmark for the BPL, which was allegedly living up to those standards. However, the IPL has never had such inconsistency in policy making.

It is said that there is no last word when it comes to the BPL. The upcoming edition, set to begin with fresh changes, might also signal the arrival of fresh controversies if current events are the precursors to the tournament's future.