Even before the inaugural edition of the Bangladesh Premier League got underway, a major controversy has hit the tournament, with Mashrafe Mortaza revealing that he was approached by a player over a potential spot-fixing opportunity. It was the last thing the league needed. After all, the dust over Pakistan’s spot-fixing controversy is yet to settle. As it is, the BPL will do little good to Bangladesh cricket. It has become evidently clearly after four years after the much-hyped Indian Premier League (IPL) that such domestic T20 club tournaments are nothing but money making outlets. And other countries are only following suit now. It is a case of making hay while the sun shines.
The quality of cricket on display at the BPL is also not expected to be that extravagant. This is because of the number of international games clashing with Bangladesh’s domestic league. Shahid Afridi was supposed to be the crowd puller, but his participation is highly doubtful considering he is on national duty, against England. The Tri-series in Australia featuring Sri Lanka and India would also mean a lot of focus will be on the matches Down Under. As such, the BPL might find itself lost somewhere in the middle of all.
Having said that, the crowds in Bangladesh are likely to come in since this is the inaugural edition, and the novelty factor should make it work at least in the home nation. After all, the craze for the game has been on the upswing even since Bangladesh achieved Test status, this despite their continuous pedestrian performances. Add to it, some of the country’s biggest stars – Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Shahriar Nafees, Mushfiqur Rahim as well as Shakib Al Hasan – will be on display. And, if that isn’t reason enough, West Indian player-turned-club T20 specialist Chris Gayle will be on show, and plenty will be expected of him as well. Further, the presence of other big West Indian names like Kieron Pollard and Marlon Samuels will also add some teeth to the Bangla league.
The bigger question though is whether the BPL will be of any good to Bangladesh cricket in the long run. The answer is a perceptible NO. T20 games do not test the ability and temperament of the players in any which way, and is nothing but a mode of entertainment for players and the fans, of which the latter will get fed up sooner rather than later. What Bangladesh cricket needs at this moment is better exposure to international cricket, and that cannot be done by getting in retired or out of favour international players from other countries into the league. The need of the hour is for the Bangladesh cricket board to organise more ‘A’ tours abroad so that their players get accustomed to alien conditions, and are better prepared to compete where they go on tours abroad.
Of course, there is nothing wrong in Bangladesh organising a T20 domestic tournament. After all, almost every nation has some or the other such league. However, the BPL must not viewed by the Bangladesh board as a talent scouting event. The IPL was also seen in a similar vein, but has left many disappointed. Except for Ravichandran Ashwin and to an extent Rahul Sharma no one from the numerous franchises has made it to the big league. This is a stern lesson for all such other leagues hoping to produce international superstars.
Another very important aspect for all involved is to take care that the money factor doesn’t overpower the players, especially in a country like Bangladesh, where players don’t earn as much as their Indian counterparts. The spot-fixing approach to Mortaza is a definite danger signal, and the issue needs to be dealt with seriously. Also, the players need to keep performing at the bigger stage else, like the big names in Indian cricket, they too would stand accused of choosing money over country. All said and done, the BPL is a step forward for Bangladesh cricket, albeit only monetarily.
By: The Pinch Hitter
Ever since The Pinch Hitter was introduced to cricket at the age of nine, he fell in love with the gentleman’s game. While his desire to take up the sport professionally remained unfulfilled, he substituted the bat with the pen. And since 2003, he has been commenting on the sport for various magazines, websites, enjoying every moment of it. With ‘Over the top’ he hopes to continue enlightening and enlivening ‘cricket companions’ the write way.
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