BCB gear up for Dhaka Premier League despite standoff with clubs

Despite ongoing disagreements with several club organizers, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Friday that they are preparing for the 2025-26 season of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.

Professional cricketers in Bangladesh are becoming impatient with the standoff between the BCB and clubs in Dhaka, who are embroiled in a tussle that has lasted seven months now. The DPL has been stalled as a result, forcing many cricketers to voice their frustration on social media even as the Cricket Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) -the cricketers' body - is trying to end the impasse.

The Dhaka Premier League, Bangladesh's top-tier List A competition, remains one of the most important pipelines for identifying and grooming national team talent.

The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, a BCB committee entrusted with the responsibility of running the domestic leagues, is scheduled to meet representatives of all participating DPL clubs on April 8 to finalise fixtures, logistics, and operational plans for the season.

"The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) continues to prioritise the Dhaka league structure, a key platform for developing talent and supporting cricketers nationwide," the BCB said in a statement on Friday.

"The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPDCL), the country's top List A competition, remains central to this system and a major pathway to the national team," it said.

"The BCB aims to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure a well-organised and competitive league," it added.

Cricbuzz understands that not more than three to four clubs are ready to sit with the CCDM considering other clubs are not ready to sit with the board as they claim it to be illegal.

"I am not sure whether all the clubs will be interested to sit with CCDM as they feel this board is illegal," a seasoned club organizer told Cricbuzz on Friday.

"I guess there are three to four clubs that are ready to play the DPL at this moment. Unless the issue between the board and the clubs are sorted these attempts are expected to be futile," it added.

The cricketers remain unpaid across the country as the standoff continues and they are currently facing a financial crisis because of the clubs' boycott.

"For most of the cricketers DPL is the biggest source of income apart from being the breeding ground for the upcoming cricketers and now they are passing their days in uncertainty," CWAB president Mithun told this website when his attention was drawn regarding the standoff between clubs and BCB.

"I hope we realize we should not kill cricket for our egos," he added.