Sakib’s RR switch puts BCB in a spot of bother

Sakib al Hasan

Bangladesh Cricket Board authorities held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue related to forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League that started giving them trouble in recent days.

No decision was made in the meeting, held at the residence of BCB president Nazmul Hasan, but officials said they discussed at length about the recent switch of all-rounder Sakib al Hasan to Rangpur Riders from Dhaka Dynamites.

Rangpur announced to secure the service of Sakib, without clearing their plan about Mashrafee bin Murtaza, their A+ category player in the last season.

Rangpur said they are still interested to keep Mashrafee as one of their four retained players, though it requires either a change in his grade or in tournament rule that will allow more than one A+ player in each team.

Dhaka reacted sharply to the move saying they were kept in dark in the entire episode by the player and Rangpur franchise.

They also accused the BCB of inaction as teams started announcing recruitment of players before rule was set for next edition.

‘We want to act by the rule but the problem is that we don’t know whether the rule has been changed. I am confused as the BCB did not inform us anything,’ Obaid Nizam, the chief executive officer of Dhaka Dynamites, told New Age earlier.

BCB official said they will announce a decision over Sakib’s Rangpur switch.

‘After Sakib moved to Rangpur from Dhaka, two problems were created. In one side Rangpur now have two icons and in the other side Dhaka have no icon,’ BCB director Mahbubul Anam told reporters after the meeting.

‘We will discuss the matter with two franchise officials and announce our decision within 48 hours.  We will also announce our decision over replacement of Chittagong Vikings franchise,’ he said.

‘The owners of Chittagong Vikings formally informed the BCB that they will not continue with the tournament while officials said the fate of Sylhet Sixers franchise is also uncertain in the tournament.

BCB already sought Expression of Interest from interested corporate houses, companies, consortiums or individual owner for buying two franchises in the tournament.

The deadline for submitting the Expression of Interest will end on August 20.

The seventh edition of BPL will kick off with an opening ceremony on December 3 and the first match of the competition will be on December 6.

 

Source: New Age,