More drama than delivery

The 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) reinforced the tournament’s reputation as a magnet for controversy, where off-field volatility consistently eclipsed the on-field action, requiring the governing body to repeatedly overhaul the schedule just to keep the league afloat.

The tournament faced immediate instability during its maiden away-from-Dhaka start in Sylhet. Before the opening match on December 25, the Chattogram Royals ownership withdrew due to financial insolvency, forcing the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to assume direct control of the franchise. Simultaneously, coaching staff at Noakhali Express staged a brief walkout over alleged mismanagement.

The league was then struck by tragedy on December 27 when Dhaka Capitals assistant coach Mahbub Ali Zaki passed away during a team warm-up session. This sombre atmosphere deepened on December 30 following the death of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, which prompted the BCB to suspend play and cancel the post-Sylhet Chattogram phase entirely to accommodate a revised fixture.

When play resumed, the focus shifted from domestic logistics to international diplomacy. On January 3, the release of Mustafizur Rahman by the Kolkata Knight Riders ignited a row that saw the Bangladesh government and the BCB lodge a formal complaint with the ICC, even threatening the national team’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India.

Amid the escalating tension, a fresh internal crisis erupted on January 15. Disparaging comments regarding player salaries by BCB director Najmul Islam triggered a league-wide player boycott. The strike was only resolved after the board stripped Najmul of his finance-related duties, leading to yet another rescheduling of the final phase in Dhaka.

Parallel to these disruptions, the BCB intensified its efforts to safeguard the league’s integrity following previous scandals, as the BCB Anti-Corruption Unit conducted rigorous screenings throughout the tournament. A Noakhali Express player, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Even a first-ball dismissal was questioned. Phones were checked regularly, and sometimes I didn’t even carry my phone to the ground.”

Adding another layer of embarrassment to an already turbulent season, the latest jolt came yesterday when BCB director Muhammad Mukhlesur Rahman stepped down as chairman of the board’s audit committee following allegations linking him to match-fixing during the tournament.

BPL governing council member secretary Iftekhar Rahman said the season had been “extremely difficult” due to time constraints. “But our goal was to organise a clean BPL. Integrity issues have improved compared to last year,” he said, adding that ensuring player payments is now the board’s priority and that franchises will be reassessed next season -- and revenue sharing will depend on profitability.

Former Bangladesh captain and Rangpur Riders assistant coach Mohammad Ashraful told The Daily Star that while the final eventually featured the best teams, the overall impact was limited.

“A major reason for lower scores was the cancellation of the Chattogram leg,” Ashraful said. “Except for [Abdul Gaffar] Saqlain, we didn’t really discover many new young players, which is tragic.”

He stressed the need for structural reform: “Until we implement a proper home-and-away system, the BPL will not have a significant impact.”