Most of T20 entertainers to play in BPL
116 local and 168 foreign players drafted in for auction tomorrow
Sports Reporter
While there were questions lingering over the countrys top players payment which was exaggeratedly lesser than the foreign players in the BPL of the last season, the governing council this time responded to the urge of the top seeded players to revise the salary structure.
BPL governing council member secretary IH Mallick revealed that the countrys top five playersShakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Mahmudullah Riyad called on them some days ago and requested them to reduce the gap. Widely regarded as countrys finest players those five got 35 lakh BDT when their top category foreign peers got US$ 70,000 in the previous season.
They said that while they play for other domestic league, the salary structure of those foreign players and them remain almost same. But it got lower here in the BPL which hurt them. As they requested us, we revised it and executed a new structure for them.
Mallick said these five players salary structure was set in the line of top category foreign players payment structure so that they dont feel deprived.
But Shakib got some more amount than the other four players considering his name, fame and experience to play T20 cricket all over the world. While the four other players salary was set 50 lakh BDT, Shakib got 55 lakh BDT, added Mallick.
But those players wont be entitled as Icon as was the case in the previous season. They are enlisted into the A+ category along two other playersSabbir Rahman and Soumya Sarkar. Since the participating team stands this time seven, seven top category players were named. But they both would get 40 lakh BDT.
As far as the experience and star image is concerned, both of them are no match with those five players. Thats why they got less than what they got. Moreover we assessed the players payment scale in the Dhaka Premier League also and we saw these five players got higher the others always.
Mallick said the seven players were also given the chance to choose their team. Those five players also requested us to choose their team by their own so that they could bargain and increase their rate. We have responded positively with this also.
Mallick added the rate what was fixed for those seven A+ players is official just but they are open to bargain about their rate.
Shakib chose Dhaka Dynamites as his choice-able team. Tamim and Mashrafe stayed at their old franchise Chittagong Vikings and Comilla Victorians. Mahmudullah went to Khulna Titans, Mushfiqur Rahim chose Barisal Bulls as his team. Sabbir Rahman is picked by Rajshahi while Soumya Sarkar got Rangpur.
The BCB only would take the responsibility of their floor price since they will collect the bank guarantee of the fixed amount from the franchisees. The extra amount what the players would get from the franchisees, will take at their own responsibility.
However the price of the other local players and foreign players remained the same as was the previous season. For foreign players A category US$ 70,000, B US$ 50,000, C US$ 40,000 and D US$ 30,000. For local players Category A 25 lakh BDT, B 18 lakh BDT, C 12 lakh BDT and D 5 lakh BDT.
The five franchisees that took part in the last season can retain two players and they had already retained their players. The new two franchisees however would get the chance to call players from the auction at first and they would call for first two rounds to get two players so that everything gets balanced.
The BPL has already enlisted 116 local players (excluding the A+ and retained players) and 168 foreign players to put them on auction which will be held at a local hotel in the city on Friday. However apart from those 168 foreign players, some of the franchisees confirmed some 31 highly rated foreign players from outside. The BCB wont take the responsibility to clear the amount of those players in case of any payment fiasco.
West Indian Chris Gayle has signed up to play five matches in the Bangladesh Premier League 2016-17 for Chittagong Vikings, and will be available for the latter half of the tournament that begins on November 4 in Dhaka. Dhaka Dynamites has recruited Sri Lankan former stars Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, West Indian Dwayne Brave, Andre Russell.
This time the foreign coaches of Bangladesh and the selectors are free to work as consultant of the franchisees, informed Mallick.
Foreign players signed by franchises before the draft are:
Barisal Bulls: Dilshan Munaweera
Chittagong Vikings: Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Shoaib Malik, Chaturanga de Silva, Mohammad Nabi
Comilla Victorians: Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Ashar Zaidi, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thisara Perera
Dhaka Dynamites: Kumar Sangakkara, Andre Russell, Mahela Jayawardene, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Ravi Bopara
Khulna Titans: Nicholas Pooran, Riki Wessels, Kevon Cooper, Mohammad Asghar, Benny Howell
Rajshahi: Darren Sammy, Mohammad Sami
Rangpur Riders: Shahid Afridi, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Shahzad, Dasun Shanaka, Gidron Pope, Richard Gleeson
