Bangladesh’s iconic T20 tournament, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) looks set for a couple of changes this year. Earlier the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had decided to scrape of the franchise cricket structure and start fresh with a centralized board implementation. Now, the BCB has made it compulsory for every team to include a leg-spinner and a pacer who bowls above 140-kmph.
Looking to improve the quality of cricket: BCB official
The BCB has taken the decision with the intent of improving the over-all quality of domestic cricket in the country. Council governing member Mahbub Anam says that the league targets to bring out the budding talents of the domestic circuit. “We want to bring out the best players from this tournament. The significance of the tournament will be lesser if Bangladeshi players cannot bowl or bat in the right position,” Anam said.
He further states that the decision comes after the approval of several national players. “We have taken suggestions from the national team and they insisted they need leg spinners. So we have decided that every team will have to play a leg-spinner. He will complete his four-over quota, ensuring that he is playing in the best XI.”, he said. ”We want international fast bowlers who bowl around 140 kmph. We believe that our players will grow through this balancing act,” concluded Anam.
More minor changes to follow
Besides these changes, the BCB also plans on improving the support staff quality for their players. For that, the BCB plans on providing each team with a foreign coach, physiotherapist and trainer. Local candidates can only apply for assistant positions. Besides that, every team must appoint a BCB director as their team director. In the next couple of weeks, the BCB pis likely to announce all the upcoming changes it is planning.
The new edition of the BPL is scheduled to commence on 6 December 2019, but the dates have not been confirmed yet. Sources state that the authorities are presently working on the security work for their upcoming tour to Pakistan, hence the planning for BPL is being delayed. However, those decisions are soon likely to reach their end, ensuring planning for the BPL resumes. The next BPL meeting will also host the player’s draft for the tournament.