The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is taking legal action against the Darbar Rajshahi franchise, which has apparently failed to pay the salary of foreign players and settle the hotel bills to date. Iftekhar Rahman, Chairman of the Media Committee of BCB, said that the board had given ample opportunities to the Rajshahi franchise to settle these issues, but the franchise’s lack of responsibility has ultimately compelled the BCB to act.
The event was in response to an embarrassing episode of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) where the foreign players of Rajshahi refused to play against Rangpur Riders because their dues had not been paid. The matter has become controversial, as the reputation of BPL might face significant legal actions from the BCB.
Rajshahi Franchise Failure to Pay Foreign Players Triggers Controversy
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The situation came to a head when Rajshahi’s foreign players decided not to participate in the match against Rangpur Riders in Mirpur over unpaid salaries. According to BPL rules, each team is required to field at least two and no more than four foreign players in their playing XI.
However, with no foreigners playing in that match, the BPL Governing Council took an unprecedented decision to allow the team to play the match without any foreigners. It is the first time in the history of BPL that any team has competed without foreigners, an incident which has angered the BCB.
Iftekhar Rahman was categorical in his reaction to the incident, saying that the BCB would not allow such breaches of contract. “The board gave them many chances, but they have crossed all limits,” Rahman said. He said the BCB would take legal measures, including filing cases for cheque bounce and breach of contract, to recover the money and restore the league’s reputation.
The Impact of the Payment Dispute on Rajshahi’s Performance
In the middle of all the chaos over payments, Rajshahi somehow won a two-run victory over the Rangpur Riders, which came as a shock considering the circumstances. Captain Taskin Ahmed guided the team through an odd match, and his leadership gave some solace to the players in the midst of a financial crisis.
In a post-match press conference, Taskin shared the problems the team encountered: “It was really a new experience. I heard that there was some problem with hotel booking. Apparently, there had been some communication gap between the hotels Sheraton and Westin. We had to change hotels in the morning on Sunday. And just two hours before the match we were told that the foreigners would not be playing.”
He further added that the BCB had called the foreign players to try and solve the problem by announcing the payments, but the players remained stood with their decision not to play, not until the dues were cleared. Taskin’s reply further expressed his feelings when one is forced to play with the knowledge that the team is deprived of major international players.
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While Taskin tried to be calm and concentrate on the game, he said the team was very disappointed due to the absence of foreign players. “We felt very bad playing without foreign players,” he said. In the end, the board gave permission to allow Rajshahi to play with only local players, and they played the match under its permission.
Despite these, Taskin kept his spirits up and the unexpected win against the table-toppers Rangpur Riders relieved some of the tension. “The victory gave us some relief,” he added. But, he did reiterate the disappointment with such a situation, adding that BPL has been hugely popular this season but internal squabbles within Rajshahi were holding back the team from its performance.
Financial Resolution: A Cheque with Uncertain Future
In the final twist of this saga, Rajshahi did pay part of the dues to the local players on Sunday. Confirming the same, Taskin told this newspaper that the cheque received was still hoping that it would get cleared. The scenario was yet quite fragile as Taskin said in a lighter vein if the cheque “bounces like this wicket,” the team might face more problems.
It’s really important that everyone feels good in the BPL, as Taskin continues, explaining that financial mismanagement disrupts the focus of play and the entire spirit of the competition. Everyone wants to play in a peaceful atmosphere in the BPL, but when things like this take place, we all feel disappointed.
BCB Takes Strict Legal Action in Defense of Integrity of the League
The BCB is firm in its decision: this situation cannot be allowed to continue without consequences. The board is prepared to take legal action against Darbar Rajshahi, which is not just overdue payments but also the non-tarnishing of the reputation of the BPL. Legal action could involve claims for breach of contract and other financial penalties, thus serving as a message to franchises that fail to fulfill their commitments.
The continuous saga of the financial crisis in Rajshahi has exposed a deeper issue with the franchise model of the BPL, especially in dealing with international talent. As events unfold, only time will tell how the BCB will exercise its authority to protect the integrity and professionalism of the league.
A Testing Time for BPL and Darbar Rajshahi
This drama within the Bangladesh Premier League unfolds and reminds everyone that financial accountability in professional sports is of utmost importance. The decision by the BCB to take the case against Darbar Rajshahi will surely bring a lot of consequences for the franchise and the overall league.
It is too early to say how this would affect BPL’s image and its future growth, but it is sure that the board is committed to maintaining the standard of the competition. The players of Rajshahi will, however, look forward to an early resolution of the legal issues so that they can concentrate on playing the game of cricket without any further off-field distractions.
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