BCL schedule hinges on April 8 DPL meeting

A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official said yesterday that the board is awaiting the outcome of an April 8 meeting between the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) and Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) clubs before finalising the schedule for the longer-format Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL).

“There is a meeting with the Premier League clubs on April 8. If the DPL does not take place, the BCL will definitely start on April 21. If the tournament goes ahead, we will adjust the BCL schedule,” BCB tournament committee in-charge AEM Kawser told The Daily Star.

“Since players’ interests are involved in the DPL, we might have to give it priority. If players participate there, we naturally cannot involve them in the BCL,” he added.

If the DPL is shelved, both matches of the BCL’s opening round will be held in Sylhet, followed by the second round in Rajshahi and Bogura, and the third in Chattogram and Rajshahi.

The second round is expected to begin on April 28, with the final round set to start after a one-week break to accommodate national players joining a preparatory camp ahead of the Pakistan Tests.

Pakistan are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on May 4 for a two-Test series – part of the World Test Championship – with the first Test likely from May 8, according to a draft itinerary.

The last BCL four-day tournament was held in December 2023, while the one-day version took place earlier this year.