BPL players' draft: player categories revealed
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has finalised the player categories ahead of the draft, grouping 188 local cricketers into six distinct classes.
With the 11th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) set to begin on 27 december, preparations are in full swing.
Before the action starts on the field, the much-anticipated players' draft is scheduled for 14 october at a hotel in Dhaka.
Notably, the remuneration for categories A, B, and C has been reduced. Category A players will now earn 6 million taka, down from 8 million, while category B salaries have been cut by 1 million, bringing the total to 4 million. Category C players will receive 2.5 million taka, a reduction of 500,000. However, the pay scales for categories D, E, and F remain unchanged, at 2 million, 1.5 million, and 1 million taka, respectively.
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Top players placed in category A include Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Shariful Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Towhid Hridoy, and Tamim Iqbal. Rishad's inclusion in category A marks a significant rise, as he was previously in category E during the last season.
Category B features 12 players, including Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Anamul Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Zakir Ali, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tanzim Sakib, Tanzid Tamim, Tanvir Islam, Shamim Patwari, and Sheikh Mahedi.
Meanwhile, 22 players such as Ebadot Hossain, Imrul Kayes, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Taijul Islam, Yasir Ali, and Saifuddin have been placed in category C. Categories D, E, and F include 28, 51, and 63 players, respectively.
In the backdrop of recent political shifts, the BPL will see some changes in team participation. Comilla Victorians will not feature this year, with Durbar Rajshahi replacing them. The Dhaka and Chattogram franchises have also rebranded. Dhaka, under the ownership of film star Shakib Khan's Remarque Harlan, will now compete as Dhaka Capitals, while Chattogram Challengers has been renamed Chittagong Kings.
The upcoming draft and changes in the franchise landscape add an extra layer of excitement to this year's competition.
