2024-02-21 20:33:48
Organizers used to demand at one time, BPL after IPL. Although the arrangements were not up to the mark, the quality of the game was questionable and surrounded by controversies, the organizers’ claims were different. BPL Governing Council Member Secretary Ismail Haider Mallick said, ‘Foreign players are eager to play in BPL.’
The main reason behind his words was remuneration. Barring the first two seasons, foreign star cricketers would have come to play BPL at a high price in the remaining eight seasons of BPL. If not for the whole season, but for a few matches, they would be fine. That’s why there was extra attention in BPL.
Comilla Victorians, who have built a big budget team in the last few seasons, are quite ahead in this regard. Their coach Mohammad Salahuddin also brought forward the issue of remuneration and claimed, ‘As far as I understand, we seem to give the best remuneration to the cricketers after the IPL. Everyone wants to play here.’
There is a basis for such words of Saladin. In the last few seasons, the franchises are making contracts with famous foreign cricketers according to the match. When Rangpur Riders won the championship in 2019, Sebar paid Chris Gayle $25,000 per match. Brendon McCullum was paid the same. Besides, they also brought in AB de Villiers for five matches. De Villiers was reportedly paid $2 million.
This time too, Rangpur has formed a big budget team to become the champion. Babar Azam has paid a high price in the game by bringing him in early. Now playing Jimmy Neesham, Dwayne Pretorius. Nicholas Pooran is about to leave. Puran’s remuneration is not less than 30 thousand.
Comilla Victorians are not far behind. Apart from T20 stars Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali, Johnson Charles, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Rizwan are playing regularly in this franchise. This time Will Jacks also came. Since they come under direct contract, their per match is around $30,000 to $35,000.
Fortune Barisal’s foreign player collection this year was Tamim Iqbal. Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir and many other Pakistani cricketers were taken into the team earlier by Tamim. Apart from this, the franchises also approached some other star cricketers. But with two tournaments running almost at the same time, the players also took advantage of the opportunity to increase their fees.
This time, the IL T20 in the United Arab Emirates and the SA T20 in South Africa are running almost at the same time as the BPL. Also, the end of Big Bash and the beginning of PSL also fell during this period. That’s why Comilla’s coach Salahuddin said about finding a separate time for BPL, ‘Everyone understands it (can be arranged a little more)… Those who understand, they don’t understand. I think, if they also understand a little, then it can be a very good tournament. If you get a good window, everyone will come to play in Bangladesh.’
He also said about shortening the tournament, ‘It is very problematic if the tournament lasts for such a long time. A tournament lasts for 45 days. It can be shortened if desired. Suppose a team has gained momentum, it plays the next match 9 days later, someone plays 6 days later… in effect a team has to start over. It is possible (minimize) if you wish, with a little thought. If you understand it, you can understand it, if you don’t understand it, no one can understand it.’