DHAKA, Dec 10, 2019 (BSS)- The Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League
(BBPL) will roll onto the ground tomorrow (Wednesday) amid a competitive mood
as Bangladesh team management shifts its focus to find out players for the
ICC World T20 in Australia next year.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which this year exclusively runs the
tournament dedicated to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman to celebrate his birth centenary, earlier announced that this event
would be a platform to form a squad which could do well in the T20 cricket, a
format in which they always found them in vulnerable state.
The tournament was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on
Sunday amid enthusiasm and fanfare as Bollywood star Salman Khan and Katrina
Kaif left the audience awestruck with their mesmerizing performance.
A total of seven teams, sponsored by various companies, are participating
in the tournament for the coveted trophy, which will be decided through a
grand final on January 17.
BCB, however, sponsors one team in Cumilla Warriors. Akhter Furnishers is
the sponsor of Chattogram Challengers, Dhaka Platoon is sponsored by Jamuna
Bank Limited, Khulna Tigers got a sponsor from Premier Bank Limited, IPC
sponsors Rajshahi Royals, Rangpur Rangers is sponsored by Incepta
Pharmaceuticals while Jivani Footwear Company runs Sylhet Thunder.
Seven BCB directors are in the charge of the seven teams as team director.
“The tournament is exclusively run by the BCB and we are trying to find
out some good T20 players for us since we have the World T20 coming up,” the
BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon said earlier.
“We have some disputed positions in T20 cricket, for which we need to find
out players and also need to create a back-up players’ pool. So this
tournament is very important for us,” he said.
Two matches will be held every day in the tournament for which three
venues– Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Zahur Ahmed
Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram and Sylhet International Cricket Stadium–
are being used.
The prices of the tickets, however, are higher than expectation as the
lowest price of the ticket is BDT 200 (Easter Stand) and the highest price is
BDT 2,000 (Grand Stand).
Price of the ticket of VIP Stand and Club House is BDT 500 while the
Northern/Southern Stand ticket is BDT 3,000. Tickets will be found in booth
set up in the stadium and through online: www.shohoz.com, www.paypoint.com.bd
and www.gadgetbangla.com.
First match will begin from 1.30 pm while the second match is on from 6.30
pm. But on every Friday, the first match is on from 2 pm while the second
match will start at 7pm.
The teams, however, already formed their team with the mix of foreign and
local players through a draft held on November 12 while six teams chose to
rope in foreign coach for them. Dhaka Platoon is the only team which opted
for a local coach in Mohammad Salahuddin.
The coaches though had already joined the side and supervising the
practice session of the teams, all of the foreign players are yet to come.
Most of the overseas players though had already joined the team.
Four teams will get down the field tomorrow on the first day of the
tournament. Chattogram Challengers will take on Sylhet Thunder in the day
match while Cumilla Warriors will lock horns against Rangpur Rangers in the
night match. Squad of the seven teams of BBPL:
Chattogram Challengers: Mahmudullah Ryad, Imrul Kayes, Nasir Hossain,
Rubel Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Enamul Haque Junior, Muktar Ali, Pinak
Ghosh, Nasum Ahmed and Junaid Siddique
Overseas: Chris Gayle, Keshrick Williams, Avishka Fernando, Rayad Emrit,
Ryan Burland Imad Wasim.
Cumilla Warriors: Soumya Sarkar, Al Amin Junior, Yasir Ali, Sabbir Rahman,
Sunzamul Islam, Abu Haider Rony, Mahidul Islam Ankan, Sumon Khan and Fardin
Hossain Anil
Overseas: Kusal Perera, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Dawid Malan and Dasun Shanaka.
Dhaka Platoon: Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Hasan Mahmud, Mehedi
Hasan, Arfiul Haque, Mominul Haque, Shuvagata Hom, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza,
Roqibul Hasan and Jaker Ali Anik
Overseas: Thisara Perera, Laurie Evans, Wahab Riaz, Asif Ali, Luis Reece
and Shahid Afridi.
Khulna Tigers: Mushfiqur Rahim, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain Shanto,
Aminul Islam Biplob, Shamsur Rahman, Saif Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shahidul
Islam, Allis Al Islam and Tanvir Islam
Overseas: Rilee Rossouw, Robbie Frylinck, Mohammad Amir, Najibullah Zadran
and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Rajshahi Royals: Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Irfan Shukkur, Abu Jayed Rahi,
Farhad Reza, Taijul Islam, Alok Kapali, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Minhajul Abedin
Afridi and Nahidul Islam.
Overseas: Ravi Bopara, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad
Irfan.
Rangpur Rangers: Mustafizur Rahman, Naim Sheikh, Arafat Sunny, Jahurul
Islam Omee, Taskin Ahmed, Zakir Hasan, Fazle Mahmud Rabbi, Nadif Chowdhury
and Sanjit Saha
Overseas: Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Lewis Gregory and Cameron
Delport.
Sylhet Thunder: Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Mohammad Mithun, Nazmul Islam
Apu, Sohag Gazi, Rony Talukder, Nayeem Hasan, Delwar Hossain, Monir Hossain
Khan and Rubel Mia
Overseas: Sherfane Rutherford, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Naveen-ul-Haq, Johnson
Charles and Jeevan Mendis.