BCL from Jan 31
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) brought forward the date of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), a franchise-based four-day competition that will now start from January 31.
The 50-over Dhaka Premier Cricket League was supposed to be the next domestic competition on the calendar but the board has decided to go ahead with the four-team BCL first with an eye to giving the national players an opportunity for some longer-form match practice ahead of upcoming Test series against Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
With just seven days to go to the scheduled start of the first-class league, the BCB is still formulating plans to use make the final a pink-ball, day-night affair and broadcasting it live.
“I conducted the meeting today in the absence of our tournament committee chairman [Gazi Golam Mortuza]. But we discussed a few issues including whether we can broadcast live at least one match, as it will encourage our young cricketers. We have little time but we will still try to do it,” said BCB Director Khaled Mahmud after a tournament committee meeting yesterday.
“We have also discussed playing the final with a pink ball and we will discuss it with players before taking the final decision. Actually, we have little time as we have to arrange the BCL before the Dhaka League because we have a number of Test matches and we don’t want to interrupt the Dhaka League, which is the bread and butter for our cricketers,” he added.
Prime Bank has already cut their sponsorship ties with BCB, so along with the North Zone team, the board have to operate South Zone this season. Mahmud however said that they would welcome new sponsors if anyone expresses interest within the short period before the BCL’s start.
Walton Central Zone and Islami Bank East Zone are the other teams in the competition.
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