'Players by choice' transfer set to return in Dhaka league

The BCB has decided to return to the "players by choice" transfer method for the 2015-16 Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, which is likely to begin on April 20. The lottery-based process was announced by the board's working committee on Thursday.

The BCB had confirmed that the process would not be repeated after it was used for the first time in 2013. However, the board has now made a U-turn, with clubs wanting the return of the process due to exorbitant payment demands from the top players.

"The board referred the issue of the Dhaka Premier League to the working committee so we have decided that the lottery for the players by choice will be held on April 10," Enayet Hossain Sirajj, the chairman of the working committee and a BCB director, said.

There had been months of discussion in the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), which runs the five-storied cricket league in the capital. At the start of this year, it was reported that some senior cricketers had met the BCB president Nazmul Hassan to stave off the players by choice method, which drastically cuts down on their seasonal payment from the clubs.

The 12 Premier League clubs will pick their choice of players who will be divided into eight categories - Icon (fixed salary of Tk 30 lakh), A+ (fixed salary of Tk 25 lakh), A (Tk 20 lakh), B+ (Tk 15 lakh), B (Tk 12 lakh), C (Tk 8 lakh), D (Tk 5 lakh) and E (Tk 3.5 lakh) [US$1 = 77 taka, 1 million = 10 lakh].

From 2013, the board has added the Icon category in addition to each of the previous categories getting an increase. Mashrafe Mortaza, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Sabbir Rahman, and Imrul Kayes have been slotted in the Icon category. Shakib, however, will miss the bulk of the DPL because of IPL commitments. Categories A+ and C have been given a rise of Tk 3 lakh, while A and B+ have a rise of 5 lakh. Categories D and E have a rise of 2.5 lakh, while Category B has been given an increase of 4 lakh.

The board has also increased its grant to all the DPL clubs by around 25 per cent, which means that the Premier League clubs will get approximately Tk 875,000, compared to the Tk 700,000 that they had got last season.

The other change that has been announced for this season's Dhaka Premier League is that clubs can now retain two players from the previous season.

"A club will be able to retain two old players, so those selected players will not be included in the lottery," Jalal Yunus, BCB's media committee chairman, said.

"The CCDM (Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis) will prepare the players' list for the eight categories. We are yet to finalise the start of the league but most likely it will kick off from April 20. There will be a reserve day for each match as rain may interrupt the league. A club will be able to register an unlimited number of foreign players but can field only one each match."

* April 2, 1530 GMT. The news report was updated to include information regarding the Icon category players