Franchise deadline extended on request of interested parties: Rubaba

A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official on Friday said that the board has extended the deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest (EOI) for franchises of the upcoming Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL) following requests from interested parties.

“We have received request from interested parties to extend the deadline for their preparation,” WBPL governing council chairperson Rubaba Dowla told The Daily Star.

The BCB had earlier, on February 18, invited EOIs from potential franchises for the three-team WBPL, scheduled to be held from April 4 to 14.

The initial deadline for submitting interest was March 4 which now has been pushed back to March 8.

However, it was learnt that only two parties expressed interest in acquiring the franchise rights of the Rajshahi and Chattogram teams, prompting the board to extend the deadline.

Sources said the BCB wants to avoid a situation similar to the men’s Bangladesh Premier League earlier this year, when the board had to take over the franchise rights of Chattogram Royals just a day before the tournament began.

The players’ draft for the inaugural WBPL is scheduled for March 14. If the franchise issue is not resolved soon, the draft date could also be rescheduled.