Teams to be shaped today

A total of 140 local and 208 overseas players were named for the Bangladesh Premier League players' draft which will take place at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in Dhaka today, with the fifth edition of the tournament set to kick off from November 4 in Sylhet.

Among the local players, Bangladesh fast bowling sensation Mustafizur Rahman is the only one to be placed in Grade A-plus (Tk 45 lakh) while veteran left arm spinner Abdur Razzak was placed in Grade A (Tk 25 lakh).

There are seven foreign players in Grade A (70,000 dollars) category.

England players form the largest contingent of foreign players with 62 cricketers, Pakistan have 46 and there are 26 players from Sri Lanka among the 208 foreigners.

The foreign players are divided into six categories -- Grade A to F. The A category players have been priced at 70,000 dollars and the F category players are priced at 10,000 dollars. The local players have been divided into five categories (A-plus, A, B, C and D) with the players in category D priced at Tk 5 lakh.

While Barisal Bulls have been removed from this edition of the BPL, Sylhet makes a return after a year's gap.

According to new regulations each team can have five foreign players in the playing eleven while the franchises have to pick a minimum of seven local players and two overseas players.

Bangladesh Test skipper Mushfiqur Rahim has joined Rajshahi Kings as its icon player for this edition of the BPL while the Tigers ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has signed on for Rangpur Riders as their icon player.

Comilla Victorians roped in Tamim Iqbal while defending champions Dhaka Dynamites and Khulna Titans retained Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad respectively as icon players. Sabbir Rahman and Soumya Sarkar will take part for Sylhet Sixers and Chittagong Vikings for the first time as their respective icon players for the upcoming season.