The Bangladesh coach feels that the BPL has not helped in the development of T20 cricket in the country
Mohammed Isam
Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe has criticized the state of the Bangladesh Premier League, pointing out that it has not helped the development of T20 cricket in the country.
Hathurusinghe pointed to the lack of local representation in key batting and bowling roles in the BPL, with teams often relying on their overseas players for big moments. He also said that the ICC should step in to ensure that regulations are in place when it comes to players participating in multiple tournaments in the same window.
“We [Bangladesh] I haven’t had a proper T20 tournament,” Hathurusinghe told ESPNcricinfo. “It sounds very strange. When I watch BPL, sometimes I turn off the TV. Some players aren’t even one of them [required] class. I have a big problem with the current system. The ICC must intervene. There must be some regulations. A player plays one tournament and then plays another tournament. It’s like a circus. Players will talk about chances, but that’s not right. People will lose interest. I’ve lost interest.”
Hathurusingha said Bangladeshi players should be given central roles in the BPL.
“We need to have a tournament where our players can do things like get into the top three…Bangladesh bowlers bowling at the death,” he said. “Where else are we going to find out? We only have one tournament.”
This season Chattogram Challengers, Sylhet Strikers and Durdanto Dhaka relied on overseas players for their front three, while Comilla Victorians, Khulna Tigers and Rangpur Riders used more local players.
When it comes to bowling, Comilla, for example, have 12 bowlers in their squad. At the death, they used eight bowlers in the outfield. Khulna and Dhaka also relied more on overseas bowlers during this period. Chattogram, Rangpur, Barishal and Sylhet have used more local bowlers.
Abu Hider’s five-wicket haul for Rangpur against Fortune Barishal also highlighted how underutilized the local bowlers are. After missing several games, he took five wickets in his second outing.
Khulna called up Jon-Russ Jaggesar, a 37-year-old offspinner from Trinidad and Tobago, whose last competitive game before the advent of the BPL was in September 2022. Khulna had spinners Nasum Ahmed, Arif Ahmed and Habibur Rahman in the their team. Left-arm spinners Taijul Islam and Rakibul Hasan played five and two matches respectively for Barishal, who picked up Keshav Maharaj after he was done with his SA20 stint.
Hathurusinghe said BCB should organize a separate tournament only for local players before the BPL so that they get more experience in T20.
“My suggestion is that we have one more tournament before the BPL,” he said. “Franchises do what they want. Some of the best players are not playing. Then how do you expect the Bangladesh team to be at par with the other teams? I am fighting a steep battle.”
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84