Frustration mounts as DPL stalls

Bangladesh T20I team all-rounder Shamim Hossain was batting to throwdowns yesterday evening at Mirpur’s Academy Ground, seemingly going through his motions.

Usually at this time of the year, the players are busy with the List A competition Dhaka Premier League (DPL). But as the leagues remains in limbo due to the standoff between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the clubs, Shamim’s lone presence in Mirpur was symbolic of the dearth of cricket at the very home of the country’s cricket.

Social media posts from several cricketers over the past few days shows that the pangs of lack of DPL is starting to hit.

Moin Khan, a domestic cricketer, had posted that in the previous years, after Eid vacations, they would be playing in the Super League stage of DPL, but this time they don’t even know when the league would begin.

Shamim shared his frustrations.

“Actually, the situation right now is quite funny. The DPL is not taking place in a country like ours… it looks odd,” Shamim told members of the media, adding how not staging the country’s premier List A competition on the year before the World Cup could have an adverse effect.

“We would also be playing the ODI World Cup in 2027, right? If we don’t prepare from now on, what will we do when the tournament comes?

“For those outside the national team, it’s harmful from a financial point of view. It’s not good for Bangladeshi cricketers. So, I believe it’s important to revive the league as soon as possible,” Shamim said.

For Shamim, who is trying to carve a path back into the ODI setup, the DPL would have provided a chance to return in the discussions.

Last season, he scored 396 runs in nine innings, averaging over 56 at a strike-rate of 126.11. His performances had reopened the national team door for him.

With World Cup coming and the DPL still uncertain, Shamim now hopes that the three-match T20I series against New Zealand at home next month would help him get a foot in the door in the ODI setup.

“If the DPL had taken place, it would have been a good opportunity to make a comeback. Since there are less chances of matches taking place, there is nothing to gain from thinking over it. Since the T20I series [against New Zealand] is ahead of us, my focus will be on doing well there to get back to the ODI side,” Shamim said.

Despite his frustrations, Shamim was keen on finding new avenues in his batting yesterday during his first net session after the vacation. Known for improvised shots, Shamim appeared to be curbing his tendencies for safer options.

“Just preparing myself for the games ahead. Slowly getting ready. Since the camp is coming up, I’m preparing myself for that,” he said, referring to the national team’s camp which is set to begin on Friday ahead of next month’s white-ball home series against New Zealand.

Ideally, players, whether one is part of the national team or not, would be working on batting templates in actual match scenarios in the DPL. This time, it is up to the individuals to prepare themselves. And as long as the stalemate between BCB and the clubs continues, Bangladesh cricket and its cricketers will continue to suffer.