BPL scandal continues

Sport Correspondent: Controversy in the scandal-hit Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) continues as the third match of the tournament between Sylhet Superstars and Chittagong Vikings delayed for several reasons.

 

The match scheduled to begin at 2.00pm local time on Monday at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. According to that the toss was supposed to be held at 1:30pm. Chittagong captain Tamim Iqbal and match referee Raqibul Hasan went to pitch on time. However, Sylhet captain Mushfiqur Rahim walked to the middle of the ground 25 minutes later.

 

Sylhet won the toss and decided to field and the match rescheduled to begin at 2:15pm.

 

Later BPL`s technical committee chairman Jalal Yunus informed ESPNcricinfo that two Sylhet players were without proper NOC papers, and hence they were not being allowed in the playing XI. This is why the toss was held up. "We have been telling them for the last 7 days but they haven`t complied," said Yunus.

 

Chittagong openers Tamim Iqbal and Tillakaratne Dilshan went to the middle of the ground. Sylhet players also were out for fielding. However, Tamim and Dilshan walked back. They were seen having discussion with the umpires near the boundary. And later Akram Khan and Tamim Iqbal were also seen having heated discussion with BPL technical committee chairman Jalal Yunus and BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.

Joshua Cobb and Ravi Bopara were the two players who did not have NOCs, So they were not included in the Sylhet team sheets at the time of the toss. But it is believed that by the time play was set to begin, BCB received those NOCs and so Sylhet decided to play them. Tamim`s protest thereafter stemmed from the fact that Cobb and Bopara were not in the original team sheets given to him at the toss.

 

The match later started at 3.10pm, more than an hour later to the scheduled time.

 

The BPL, which started in 2012 as a copy-cat version of the high-flying Indian Cricket League (IPL), was suspended indefinitely after the second edition amid revelations former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and four others were involved in match fixing.

 

The tournament, which drew talent from around the world, was also tainted by salary issues, including franchises failing to pay match fees to scores of players.

 

risingbd/DHAKA/Nov 23, 2015/Augustin Sujan