CCDM launches probe after Rupganj, Leopards file complaints over DLS decisions

Dhaka Premier League clubs Legends of Rupganj and Dhaka Leopards have filed complaints over their respective matches against Prime Bank and City Club at BKSP on Sunday.

Rupganj submitted a letter to the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) on May 11, requesting an investigation into why their match was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method despite what they claimed were playable conditions after rain interruption.

Prime Bank were 108 for 2 in reply to Rupganj’s 227 all out before rain halted play at BKSP-3, with Prime Bank eventually awarded a 21-run DLS victory.

In the other match, Dhaka Leopards suffered a one-run DLS defeat after posting 306 for 9, with City Club reaching 96 for 1 before rain caused a similar situation at another BKSP venue.

Rupganj alleged that no meaningful attempt was made to prepare the ground for play to resume and claimed the umpires unnecessarily delayed the decision-making process.

According to the club, rain stopped at around 4:00pm, after which the umpires carried out a 27-minute inspection. With no update forthcoming, Rupganj’s coach, captain and manager approached the umpires for clarification. The officials reportedly informed them that another 20 minutes would be needed before a decision could be made.

However, after that period elapsed, the umpires entered another discussion at 4:50pm which lasted around 12 minutes. Although the cut-off time for restarting the match was 5:12pm, the umpires called off the game at 5:02pm and awarded the result via DLS.

“After rain, when groundsmen took off the covers and we observed the ground, we didn’t see any part of the ground where there were puddles or moisture. The umpires were very slow with their instructions and we started pushing for the match to start,” Mohammad Forhad, manager and representative of Legends of Rupganj, told The Daily Star.

“The thing is there was no situation at the ground where there was an attempt at drying the ground. We talked to the curator and he informed us that he had asked the umpires to show him which areas needed work, but the umpires neither showed him anything nor discussed any areas of the field that required attention.

“When we talked about it with the umpires, they said it was the rules and that they would conduct another inspection at 4:50. From that point, the umpires just kept discussing. Later, they said there was bad light and the ground wasn’t ready. It was purposeful time wasting. A minimum five-to-10-over game was possible.

“We spoke to the match referee and the curator, who was also present, confirmed to the match referee that he had not been given any instructions to ready the ground. The match referee then suggested that we take the matter to CCDM, and that’s how we filed the letter,” he added.

CCDM confirmed to The Daily Star that they had received the complaint and forwarded it to the umpires’ committee, which has already begun an investigation. A report is expected within “a day or two”.