Premier League deadlock raising concerns amid ODI-heavy year

The current year is an important one in Bangladesh cricket’s context, especially with a majority of ODI series set to be played and the results determining qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Amid these major assignments, the country’s cricket is facing stagnation, with club cricket being the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s major challenge.

The Second and Third Division leagues have already faced issues following clubs’ boycott over irregularities in the BCB elections and, according to sources, nine of the Premier League clubs have boycotted domestic leagues, throwing the Premier League tournament, which is played in March, into doubt.

The BCL one-day tournament was a success, with matches held in Bogura and Rajshahi on sporting wickets. Ahead of the Pakistan series, it provided good preparation, but with more ODIs coming up, the Premier League would not only have provided key grounds for selectors to pick players, alongside being the major prospect for local players’ livelihoods. Former ODI captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto wanted the Premier League to take place but was aware of the new realities.

“We will definitely say that we want to play. Now whether they [clubs] listen to us or not, I don’t know,” Shanto told reporters after North Zone’s loss in the final against Central on Tuesday.

“But I think it is very important that this One-Day tournament takes place, especially the Premier League. We have the ODI World Cup ahead and, at the same time, we don’t play many ODI matches these days. I would want the league to be held properly, with competitive cricket on good sporting wickets. So the league should definitely take place. The rest is up to God.”

Batting, especially, has been a challenging prospect, with temperament and adjustment to formats gaining traction in terms of World Cup preparation. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Towhid Hridoy found runs, while Saif Hassan managed one meaningful score in this BCL. Shanto said concerns remained regarding batting in terms of ODI preparedness. Within the last 12 months, batting consistency has been limited. The highest run-getter in the ODI setup in this period, Towhid Hridoy, averages just 31.22; Shanto himself averages 15.5 in nine matches.

“I think, as a batting unit, in the last ten to twelve ODIs, we haven’t been able to bat properly for 50 overs… If you look at the entire BCL tournament, every team played in a similar way. It was very disappointing, especially if I talk about my own team. I think all four teams had experienced players who have played 50-70 List A matches… There should have been more hundreds, and we should have dominated for 50 overs,” Shanto said.

The Premier League will remain impossible under the current circumstances. So while Shanto and others may be feeling the pangs of a lack of club cricket, no plans are yet in place to fill the vacuum in an important year for ODI challenges.