Over the past few years, the BPL has made headlines more often for negative reasons than positive ones. From players not receiving their payments to franchises pulling out at the last moment, and even allegations of match-fixing, the tournament has repeatedly found itself surrounded by controversy.
On top of that, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has failed to make a profit from the BPL over the past three editions. Instead, the board reportedly suffered losses of around Tk 40 crore over the three years. Taking everything into consideration, the current cricket board, led by Tamim Iqbal, has decided not to hold the BPL in 2026.
On Saturday, the BCB invited franchise owners and representatives for a discussion on the future of the tournament. Representatives from Rangpur Riders, Rajshahi Warriors and Dhaka Capitals attended the meeting. After the discussion, Rangpur Riders CEO Ishtiaq Sadeque spoke to the media and shared some insight into what was discussed.
“The BCB’s thinking is that they have taken a short break so that the entire tournament can be organised in a much better way and built around a more sustainable model. The discussion was very productive. There were three franchises present, and I really liked a word used by Rajshahi — reform. The BPL needs reform.”
“We have been here for the last 10 years, but we still don’t have any constructive ideas or a sustainable model. If the BCB and the franchises can work together to develop these models, it will be much better for the BPL in the long run.”
Rangpur Riders have regularly built their squads around a mix of top domestic and overseas players. However, the lack of a fixed schedule makes it difficult for them to secure players in advance. As a result, they often have to pay premium prices to sign players at the last moment.
The situation is made even more difficult by the fact that several other franchise leagues are held around the same period, leaving the BPL with a smaller pool of world-class players to choose from. To address the issue, Rangpur Riders have called for a fixed five-year calendar before the tournament is held again.
“From the schedule to the model and the time of year when it will be held — whenever the BPL returns, we want a five-year calendar in place. When we try to sign players, there are at least 20 franchise leagues being played around the world. Among them, the BPL gets the least priority when we try to bring in top-class cricketers. That is why we have asked for the schedule to be fixed for five years.”
If the BPL is not held in 2026, domestic cricketers could face significant financial losses. However, Sadeque believes it would be better to take the time to organise the tournament properly rather than hold a poorly planned edition and fail to honour financial commitments to players.
“There is the livelihood of the cricketers involved, but at the same time, once the BPL is over, these same cricketers end up chasing franchises for their payments. I have no hesitation in saying that Rangpur Riders have been here for 10 years, and we have never had that kind of situation.”
“However, even after seven or eight months, we still have payments pending for some players. The sponsors who signed agreements with us did not pay the money they had committed to. The market situation is getting worse day by day, and it is likely to deteriorate further.”
“So, instead of holding a BPL just for the sake of it, promising a player Tk 30 lakh and then failing to pay the final Tk 15 lakh, avoiding their calls and disappearing — it is better to take some time and organise the tournament under a proper model.”
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