Would be difficult for us to provide for families without BPL: Mushfiqur

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim said that it would be difficult for players to earn a steady living if not for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and claimed the quality of the tournament to be "very high". 

Like every season, the quality of cricket came into question during the ongoing 10th edition of the BPL, mainly due to an overwhelming share of low-scoring encounters produced in the country's only franchise-based T20 tournament.  

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha said he "often switches off" the TV while watching BPL matches, hinting at the poor quality of cricket displayed in the tournament. 

However, Bangladesh stalwart Mushfiqur wondered how could the quality of a tournament that helps many players earn a living be that bad. 

"First of all, if BPL doesn't take place then it would be difficult for us [players] to provide for our families. That is the gist," Mushfiqur said in a press conference yesterday after helping his Fortune Barishal side to a six-wicket win over Rangpur Riders in Qualifier 2 and into the final of BPL. 

"The remuneration that we get from [one season of] BPL is equal to what top paid players earn in three-four years playing for the national team. So, how can its standard be that bad?" Mushfiqur wondered. 

"Because no player would want to play badly in BPL and stay unsold in the next season only to watch others play on TV. So, if you ask me, BPL's quality is definitely very high. Maybe, sometimes it gets difficult for batters to score runs because of the pitch, but the surfaces were a lot better on an average this season. And that's why the quality of cricket also improved compared to the past," he added. 

Barishal will vie for their maiden BPL trophy in the all-important final against defending champions Comilla Victorians, the tournament's most successful side with four titles, on March 1 at the same venue.