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BPL special edition to serve as roadmap for T20 WC


Bangladeshpost
Published : 10 Dec 2019 07:40 PM | Updated : 03 Sep 2020 08:48 PM

All seven teams are gearing up in full flow as Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League is set to roll out from today. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has re-branded the annual T20 league cricket competition for this season to mark the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who’s called the father of the nation. A mega opening ceremony held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday was graced by leading personalities from home and abroad, reports Cricbuzz.

BCB decided to host the tournament on their own after cutting ties with the franchises due to their unreasonable demands despite having completed as many as six editions of the competition with them. BCB instead opted to have sponsors for the special edition of the tournament and eventually managed to get six interested companies for the seven participating teams. Consequently, the seventh remaining team - Comilla Warriors - will be backed by the team while the rest six teams are managed by their respective sponsors under the umbrella of the BCB.

Doubts prevailed if the board will be able to manage everything on it’s own, from logistics support to getting star attractions on board as earlier franchises were the ones who brought glamour by signing up names like AB de Villiers, David Warner and Steve Smith to name a few.

And even though some of the big names synonymous with T20 cricket have given it a miss, due to international commitments or otherwise, the competition promises to be the ideal stepping stone for the local talent, with one eye on next year’s ICC T20 World Cup to be played in Australia. Bangladesh chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that they are keeping a close eye on the tournament, as they are yet to fix the gaps in the national T20 side.

“All the players we have are included in the BPL squad as this BPL is very crucial for us,” said Minhajul. “The T20 World Cup is knocking on the door. Also, we have a lot of T20 matches coming. Our performance there is vital. We are working in the areas in which we are lacking. Team Management and we all want to see good performances from the players in these areas and we will hopefully see that in the BPL. If we get some players from here (BPL), then it will be a bonus. And a lot of good overseas players are coming. Our local cricketers will have a great opportunity to gain experience playing with them. In the shorter format, you have to be involved in the game in such a manner that every moment is a challenge for them. 

This is a huge opportunity for the players who cannot cope up with the T20 format. As the World Cup is coming up, we are working on our squad. This is a big opportunity for the youngsters too. If they play well, it is good for the team,” Minhajul added.

The BCB academy premises is overcrowded with cricketers of seven different teams as they are looking forward to sketch down their plans for the upcoming tournament that will see 47 matches in 39 days where seven teams - Dhaka Platoon, Khulna Tigers, Rajshahi Royals, Rangpur Rangers, Sylhet Thunder, Comilla Warriors and Chattogram Challengers - will fight to clinch the title this special edition.

Besides, Bangladesh’s selection panel, too, will be keenly observing “the seven” in each of the seven sides for this is not just any other edition of BPL but rather a roadmap for the next T20 World Cup.