Don’t think it is right to play now, says Hassan
Although the Tigers are having a busy time with their international commitments, the scenario is quite the opposite for the domestic players in Bangladesh.
The Dhaka Premier League was suspended after its first round due to the Covid-19 outbreak in March last year and since then local cricketers have been going through an anxious time.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) arranged the first-class National Cricket League in March this year, but that was also suspended after the first two rounds for an indefinite period owing to a fresh upsurge in Covid-19 infection rates earlier this month.
The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis announced that they are planning to begin the DPL from May 6. However, the tournament will not be taking place in its original 50-over-a-side format as a busy international schedule will not allow for a wide enough window for such an undertaking. Thus, the tournament this time will be played in T20 format.
A majority of local cricketers have been struggling financially and cricketers from the third to first division have all have been waiting for the leagues to begin.
The DPL remains the chief source of income for most cricketers in the domestic circuit and the decision to begin the tournament was welcomed by the players.
However, keeping the current Covid-19 situation in the country in mind, the BCB also had to think about the health safety of the players. Although the Bangladesh Football Federation has already announced that it will begin the second phase of the Bangladesh Premier League from April 30, there is still no good news from BCB boss Nazmul Hassan in terms of restarting the DPL.
"It is difficult to start the league in this situation. If this situation continues, in my opinion, I don't think it is right to play now. Until we are unable to ensure a bio-secure bubble for players, there is no question of playing in such a situation whether it's for one team or ten," Hassan told media yesterday.
"The BCB is trying its best and if they (clubs) can ensure us they can be able to continue the tournament by creating a proper bio-bubble then only we can play. But at the moment I think the chances are very slim."
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