Mohammad Mithun, president of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), has called on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to increase match fees in domestic competitions such as the National Cricket League (NCL) and Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), allowing a larger group of players to benefit financially.
During the 2024 BPL, veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim highlighted how heavily some cricketers depend on the franchise tournament, saying, The first thing I’d say is, brother, if there’s no BPL, it would be difficult for us to run our families.”
Bangladesh’s leading national team players can earn significantly more through the BPL than through their annual central contracts. Players who secure direct deals before the draft can earn Tk 1 crore or more, while those in the top draft category can command between Tk 60 lakh and Tk 80 lakh.
For younger players, the BPL also provides one of the biggest platforms to establish themselves. But with the tournament set to be absent in 2027, players are facing both financial and competitive setbacks.
The issue was discussed during two meetings between CWAB representatives and the BCB. According to Mithun, the board presented two possible solutions: organising another tournament during the BPL window or taking a longer-term approach by increasing match fees in domestic cricket.
The players opted for the second option.
“We had two options. One was to receive some form of financial support to compensate for the absence of the BPL. The other was to think long term and come up with something that would benefit 150 to 200 cricketers.
“After discussing the matter with our red-ball and white-ball captains, senior players and those who have been playing domestic cricket for many years, we reached the decision that instead of thinking about 50 to 70 players, we should focus on how we can support 150 to 200 players in the future.
“We want this to be sustainable. If we had taken the immediate financial benefit we were seeking, it would have ended this year. Instead of focusing only on this year, we wanted to make sure our future stars benefit more in the long run, and that is what we discussed.”
Mithun said the inconsistency of the BPL and DPL in recent years has made it difficult for players to rely on those tournaments as their primary source of income. He also pointed to recurring disputes over payments in domestic cricket.
“We are thinking about 150 to 200 cricketers. You have seen how inconsistent the BPL and Premier League have been over the past five years. It has been like this since the COVID-19 period. Every year, we have to deal with various issues regarding payments,”
“One of our demands was that our livelihoods should not depend on the BPL and DPL. The cricket board should organise something that allows us to stop worrying about how we will support our families. All of us should be financially secure,”
“Of course, we want to play in the BPL. We also want the Premier League to return to the level it was at before, so that players can benefit more from it.”
The BCB is also preparing a programme called ‘Bangladesh First’, involving competitions such as the NCL, NCL T20 and BCL, with ownership of teams expected to be handed over to corporate organisations.
Mithun acknowledged that the financial loss caused by the absence of the BPL cannot be fully recovered, but said a higher match fee across domestic competitions could provide players with more consistent income.
“We have tried to find a way to compensate the players for the financial losses they have suffered, but that simply isn’t possible. I’m sure everyone will agree that the losses cannot be fully recovered.
“However, what we can do is find a way to benefit 150 to 200 players in the future. One possibility is to increase the match fees in the tournaments being played and provide an additional amount, so that a player can remain financially secure throughout the year. These are the gains we are looking for.”
The focus, Mithun said, is therefore not simply on replacing one season of BPL income, but on creating a domestic system that can provide financial stability to a much larger group of cricketers over the long term.
