No foreigners in upcoming DPL

Significant changes are to be introduced in the upcoming Dhaka Premier League (DPL), slated to begin from March 15 next month.

The players' transfer will be held from March 3 to March 5 with a Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) desk also to be present in Sylhet to facilitate the signings of national players, CCDM chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed informed during a press conference yesterday. The Tigers will be playing the upcoming ODI series against Zimbabwe in Sylhet and will be there from March 1 to March 6.

The biggest takeaway from the event was the announcement that no foreign players would be included in the upcoming edition of the league. During its glory days, international stars such as Wasim Akram and Sanath Jayasuriya had featured in Bangladesh's premier ODI competition.

"It's a great opportunity for our local players. We also don't have international players in the National Cricket League or Bangladesh Cricket League. This year we want to try it out. We arrived at this decision upon discussion with the board and the clubs," Inam said.

For the past two years, a player-by-choice system for signings was adopted for the DPL but following the players' strike last year, the system will revert to open-market players' transfers. The players' pool will also not be present, with clubs free to sign players through direct signings.

The DPL T20 league, arranged in two separate phases last year, will be held after the DPL Super League this year with six Super League teams.

"The T20 tournament will be played with the six Super League teams. We have introduced it so that each club can play five T20s and gather T20 experience.

"The top six sides can pick three players from the sides that did not make it to the Super League if they require. We will fix the scheduling of the matches prior to the tournament and share it with the clubs," Inam informed.

The first three or four rounds of the tournament will not be played in Dhaka or the BKSP, with Cox's Bazar and Chattogram likely venues. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will finance costs for travel and other costs related to clubs playing outside Dhaka.

"The Dhaka and BKSP pitches have been used a lot and if a month's break is not given, we will not get quality wickets there," Inam said, also reiterating that the board aspired to maintain the umpiring levels of the last two years.

HIGHLIGHTS

DPL to begin from March 15; players' transfers from March 3-5.

Clubs will not be able to sign foreign players.

Player-by-choice system to be replaced with previous players' transfer system.

T20 league to be played after the Super League with the six sides in the Super League; tournament format yet to be decided.

The first three-four rounds to be played outside Dhaka.