Hopes high as bcl begins0

The 11th edition of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), the country’s first franchise-based first-class competition, kicks off today, with four clubs competing for glory in a single league format.

On the first day, defending champions BCB South Zone will meet East Zone at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, while Central Zone will face North Zone at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium’s outer ground.

Members of the Bangladesh Test team will miss the first two rounds of the BCL due to international commitments in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.

Players from Bangladesh’s ODI and T20I teams, on the other hand, are slated to compete in the first two rounds of the event, with Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Anamul Haque Bijoy, and Tanvir Islam representing BCB South Zone.

Domestic tournament scheduling is frequently hampered by national team responsibilities, prompting critics to label the competition a “picnic tournament.”

“This complaint existed in the past, but in recent years, we have increased the match fees for both players and umpires.” We have raised the quality of the fields, balls, transportation, and other facilities. “I hope such local tournaments get some attention from the media and fans as well, which will surely encourage the players to perform in a competitive environment,” Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) tournament committee chairman Ahmed Sajjadul Alam told The Daily Star yesterday, adding that he has high hopes for the tournament to be competitive this edition.

The previous season, the BCB raised the match fees for four-day games from Tk 65,000 to Tk 80,000. Players now receive a daily allowance of Tk 2500. The winning team will receive Tk 20 lakh, while the tournament player, highest run-getter, and top wicket-taker will each receive Tk 1 lakh.

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