Bangladesh’s premier List A competition, the Dhaka Premier League, appears to be on the verge of resuming after months of uncertainty, with newly appointed BCB ad hoc committee head Tamim Iqbal making the tournament’s restart one of his first major priorities since taking charge.
The DPL has been caught in a frustrating stalemate for the better part of seven months, stemming from a dispute between the Aminul Islam-led Bangladesh Cricket Board and Dhaka’s club representatives.
A Long-Running Standoff Finally Finds Direction
The prolonged deadlock left professional cricketers in limbo, with many voicing their frustration publicly on social media. The Cricket Welfare Association of Bangladesh also stepped in to try and break the impasse, though progress remained limited until now.
With Tamim at the helm of the newly formed ad hoc committee, there is a renewed sense of direction surrounding the tournament. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday following the second board meeting of the new administration, Tamim made clear that resolving the DPL situation is not something the board intends to delay.
A planned meeting with DPL clubs, which was initially scheduled for April 8, was postponed but Tamim confirmed that talks with club representatives would be arranged at the earliest opportunity.
Tamim Outlines Concrete Steps Toward Restart
On the path forward, Tamim was specific about the board’s intentions.
“Our target is to announce the player transfer window as soon as possible and get the tournament started on the ground quickly,” he said.
The board is also prepared to address venue shortages by renting private academy grounds if necessary, acknowledging that several such facilities are now capable of hosting List A fixtures.
Beyond the restart itself, the new administration used the occasion to announce a significant revision of domestic player payments. Match fees for first-class cricket have been raised to Tk 1 lakh per match, up from the previous Tk 70,000 to 75,000 range. Monthly salaries across the three categories of NCL contracted players have also been increased, with Category A players set to earn Tk 65,000 per month compared to the previous Tk 35,000.
Tamim described the earlier pay structure as one that had seen virtually no increment over three to four years, calling it “highly underpaid” for the effort players put in at that level.
Women’s Domestic Cricket Also Gets a Long-Overdue Boost
The pay reforms extended to women’s domestic cricket as well, an area Tamim described with visible disbelief. Match fees that once stood as low as Tk 1,000 and were later revised to Tk 5,000 will now rise to Tk 10,000 for T20 matches, Tk 15,000 for one-day games, and Tk 20,000 for longer formats. Monthly contract salaries for roughly 30 to 35 contracted women players will increase from Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000.
The broader restructuring reflects a board that is moving quickly to address grievances that had accumulated over several years. Tamim acknowledged that a ceiling still exists on domestic salaries to maintain a meaningful gap with national contract rates, but the changes represent a substantial step forward nonetheless.
With the transfer window announcement expected shortly and club discussions set to follow, the DPL’s return to the field now looks more likely than at any point in recent months.
For more sports news and updates, follow JeetWin Blog.
The post Dhaka Premier League Set for Revival as BCB Nears Agreement appeared first on JeetWin Blog.
