Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed has reassured players participating in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) that they will receive their payments despite several franchises failing to pay the first installment of their contracts on time.
According to the payment schedule, franchises are required to pay 50% of a player’s fee before the tournament begins, 25% during the competition, and the remaining amount after its conclusion. The seven-team league kicked off on December 30.
Faruque, who became BCB president in August and a former Bangladesh captain, confirmed the ongoing discussions with the franchises to resolve the issue.
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However, he refrained from providing specific reasons why most franchises, except Fortune Barishal, failed to meet the bank guarantee requirement mandated by the BCB. This guarantee ensures that players are paid by the board if franchises default on payments.
Although the BCB has utilised bank guarantees in previous seasons to cover unpaid dues, the absence of such guarantees this year has raised concerns about players’ financial security.
"We have been engaging with the franchise owners from the outset," Faruque said. "I’ve emphasised that payments must be made. If you ask me to give a definitive reason why they didn’t provide the bank guarantee, I can’t. One has to consider the broader circumstances of the last four months."
The BCB president assured that measures were being taken to address the issue. "This doesn’t mean players will go unpaid. We have adopted various strategies to work with the franchises. I’ve personally reached out as the board president to ensure they see us as partners. They are investing in Bangladesh cricket as well," he added.
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The payment controversy follows a ticketing mishap on the tournament’s opening day, which led to agitated fans damaging the main gate of the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Source: With inputs from ESPNCrickinfo