Aminul Haque, Bangladesh’s state minister for youth and sports, announced on Sunday that he will meet with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to discuss the future of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the nation’s only franchise-based T20 tournament.
Board Decision and Reactions
- BCB president Faruque Ahmed previously stated the tournament would remain on hold until issues affecting its credibility are resolved.
- While franchises supported the decision, players expressed concern over their financial security, as the BPL is a primary income source.
- The BCB subsequently increased match fees for domestic cricket to mitigate the financial impact on players.
Ministerial Stance
Aminul Haque admitted he was unaware of the postponement until informed by the media in Dhaka. “I only got to know from you (media) just now, I wasn’t aware BPL will not take place. BPL is a popular tournament for Bangladesh,” he stated. Regarding the board’s rationale, he added, “You’re saying the board president presented some logical reasons to you all. I think a tournament like the BPL should be held every year.” The minister emphasized the need for dialogue, concluding, “Why it didn’t happen, we need to discuss. We will obviously monitor in future that this kind of competition takes place regularly.”
