Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday (October 11) announced that the upcoming 2020-2021 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will not take place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, competitive cricket finally resumed in Bangladesh after a gap of six months with the three-team 50-over tournament on Sunday, but the BPL T20 tournament will not be held this year.
Confirming the same, the BCB President Nazmul Hasan said the decision was taken keeping in mind the participation of foreign cricketers and other logistics in view of the raging COVID-19 crisis.
Nazmul told reporters while launching the inaugural edition of the three-team 50-over tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium: “BPL is not happening this year. Let’s see it in next year. We do not want to miss any game but everything will depend on the situation and circumstances.”
The unavailability of the foreign players was one of the main reasons behind the postponement of the franchise-based T20 tournament this year in Bangladesh.
The BCB chief further explained, “Because whenever there is talk of BPL, there must be foreign cricketers. At the same time, there is a matter of production. Now if we can do those in Bangladesh then we have no objection. But it is a little bigger arrangement because of the number of players there and the team management are much higher. I don’t know if we are able to handle that or not.”
On the possibilities of staging the BPL outside Bangladesh, Nazmul said: “I don't think it will be easy (organize the tournament outside). I tell you when we go to run in Bangladesh (BPL), except for one or two franchises, the rest of us have a hard time to play the tournament.”
He signed off by saying, “I heard it today the bio-security belt has to be created outside say in the UK and even in Dubai for the IPL (IPL 13 is being played in the UAE) as well and I don't think it is possible for anyone. It is almost impossible for us to spend so much money.”
(With PTI Inputs)
