The domestic arena of Bangladesh cricket has long been mired in controversies and irregularities, despite repeated calls from experts and the media to strengthen its core in order to improve the country's cricketing structure. That crisis appears to have deepened this season, with four of the five opening-day fixtures tomorrow expected to result in walkovers as several clubs could skip the games in protest against alleged irregularities in the most recent Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections.
The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) announced the fixtures on Thursday, listing all 20 participating clubs, even though some teams have shown no intention of turning up, with eight teams skipping last month's players' transfer window. Only the opening day match between Bangladesh Police Cricket Club and Old DOHS Sports Club is expected to begin as scheduled at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Relegated Premier League clubs usually play promoted First Division teams in the opening fixtures. Interestingly, the Police-Old DOHS fixture does not fall under that format but was arranged nonetheless, with a CCDM official explaining the committee wanted to schedule at least one match "which will take place."
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, a councillor of Old DOHS Sports Club, has allowed his team to participate, even though they were among the 45 clubs that had protested alleged irregularities in the BCB elections. The league had already been postponed several times before the latest dates and fixture list were finalised, and a CCDM official confirmed there would be no further delays.
"The league will start; there is no more opportunity to postpone," the official said. Any team failing to show up will automatically concede a walkover, with the opposition receiving full points. "When the league ends, the teams which did not play will be relegated and no relegation league will be held," the official added, noting that fixtures were prepared with all 20 clubs so that no side would be excluded.
Partex Sporting Club, scheduled to face Baridhara Dazzlers on Sunday at PKSP, are not expected to take the field. The club's general secretary, Sajjad Hossain, said they are "not going to play because the situation is muddy at the moment." Some sources suggested that certain clubs may also be waiting to see how the political landscape shifts ahead of the upcoming national elections.
Partex, however, initially showed interest in participating in the league. "We had no objection to playing the league, but the situation is not right. If all the teams don't participate, what's the use of playing? We have no objections regarding the BCB elections or other things," the official said. Partex also objected to beginning the season with the First Division, arguing that the season traditionally starts with the Third Division and then moves upward.
The fault lines that emerged during the last BCB elections continue to influence the game, leaving a domestic structure long in need of stability facing an even shakier start this year.
Partex Sporting Club vs Baridhara Dazzlers (PKSP-2)
Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy vs Dhaka United (BKSP-3)
Amber Sporting Club vs Kalabagan Krira Chakra (BKSP-4)
Bangladesh Police Cricket Club vs Old DOHS Sports Club (SBNCS)
Lalmatia Club vs Dhanmondi Cricket Club (SCG)
