NCL to introduce home and away format this season
||CF Correspondent||
The 20th edition of National Cricket League (NCL), the country’s traditional first-class tournament, will start from October 1.
NCL will be played on home and away basis for the first time in its history while the tournament will also have a two-tier system like the previous years.
According to the board officials, the promotion-and-relegation system will remain effect while, to make the tournament more competitive, it has been decided that the first innings will be stipulated to 120 overs.
“We want to make this tournament competitive and to make sure that it does not get carried on with a negative mindset we have decided to introduce a new law that suggest that each team can bat maximum 120 overs in the first innings,” NCL secretary Kazi Rakib Haider told reporters on Saturday.
Experienced NCL campaigner Mohammad Sharif welcomed the initiative as it will promote competitiveness.
“Surely it will bring some competitiveness as the possibility of playing negative cricket decreases with the new law in place,” former national all-rounder Sharif told The Asian Age.
Most of the national cricketers are likely to take part in the first two rounds of the tournament as they will have a two-week break before taking on Zimbabwe in a bilateral home-series comprising three ODIs and two Test matches.
The biggest longer-format domestic competition in Bangladesh will take place in eight different venues across the country – Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna, Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi, Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura, Cricket Garden in Rangpur, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in Cox’s Bazar, Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah and Barishal District Stadium – this year.
In tier one, Reigning champions Khulna Division will take on newly promoted Rajshahi Division in the first match at Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi while Rangpur Division will face Barishal Divison at Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura in the opening fixtures of the tournament.
Last year’s relegated side, Dhaka Division will start their campaign against Chattogram Division at Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah while Sylhet Division will take on Dhaka Metropolitan on the other fixtures of tier two in the same day.
The second round of the four-day competition will start from October 8 and the sixth and final round will take place from November 5.
For the eighth consecutive year, Walton Group will remain as the title sponsor of the NCL.
