In the BPL, every team’s XI must include at least two foreign players, but Durbar Rajshahi’s lineup against Rangpur Riders consisted solely of local cricketers.
Normally, the starting lineup is shared with the media right after the toss via the two teams’ WhatsApp groups. The BCB also announces the lineups. However, in the Rangpur Riders vs. Durbar Rajshahi match, there was no announcement of the XI after the toss, and the lineup was not shown on TV either. It was only after 15 minutes that the XI was confirmed through a list sent to the press box. To everyone’s surprise, Durbar Rajshahi’s XI featured no foreign players.
According to the BPL’s playing conditions, each team is allowed to field up to four foreign players, although they can opt for fewer. However, at least two foreign players must be included. The head of the BPL Technical Committee, former captain Rakibul Hasan, explained to BDNews24 that special permission had been granted for Rajshahi to field an all-local XI upon their request.
There had already been discussions about Rajshahi fielding only local players well before the toss. It was clear by then that no foreign players had arrived with the team. After the toss, the announcement of the XI confirmed the situation.
Rakibul Hasan clarified that the Technical Committee had granted this special permission in the best interest of the tournament.
“Durbar Rajshahi informed us that their foreign players were unavailable. They requested to field only local cricketers. We reviewed the situation, and based on the playing conditions, we granted them special approval,” he said.
When the match began, the BCB issued a press release confirming that the Technical Committee had given permission in accordance with clause 1.2.8 of the BPL’s playing conditions.
Durbar Rajshahi has been at the center of controversy regarding player payments this season. The team’s cricketers had previously boycotted a training session in Chittagong due to unpaid dues, although the team later denied this claim. However, several players confirmed the incident on the condition of anonymity. Under pressure from the board, the players returned to practice the following day. Despite this, there have been ongoing complaints about unpaid fees.
After returning from Chittagong to Dhaka, the team suddenly switched hotels on Sunday morning—a rare event in BPL history. Then came the surprise of fielding an all-local XI without foreign players.
The Technical Committee head could not confirm whether the absence of foreign players was linked to payment issues.
“They only told us their foreign players were ‘unavailable,’ without further explanation. We granted this permission for the sake of the tournament. We all want the game to proceed without any disruption,” he said.
BCB director and media committee chief Iftikhar Rahman addressed the media, stating that the board would make a swift decision regarding Rajshahi’s situation.
“This is certainly unfortunate. It’s unexpected. Everything related to the team’s situation is unintended. We are discussing this issue, and the BCB’s responsibility is to identify and resolve the problem. The issue has been brought up in board meetings, but new things keep arising. The BPL is nearing its end, and we can’t ignore that,” he said.
He added, “The situation with the foreign players’ absence will be addressed promptly. I can’t predict the decision yet, but a tough one is needed. We’ve been lenient, letting them play. But how much leniency can we allow? We can’t compromise the integrity of the BPL. The BCB’s primary responsibility is to uphold the tournament’s reputation.”
