Taskin shares 'unique experience' of changing hotels on a match day

In an unusual turn of events, Durbar Rajshahi players had to switch hotels on the day of their match against Rangpur Riders due to logistical issues.

The situation, already tense with unpaid wages causing unrest within the team, became more chaotic as players received instructions to leave their Gulshan-2 hotel, The Westin, and move to Sheraton.

Captain Taskin Ahmed described this as a "new experience" for him during the post-match press conference.

Taskin stated, "This was the first time I had to change hotels on match day. From what I've heard, all the rooms at The Westin were booked, so we had to move to the Sheraton. It's not something you expect, especially on a game day."

The chaos didn't end with the hotel move. Shortly after arriving at the new accommodation, Rajshahi's local players were informed that their foreign teammates—Mohammad Haris, Ryan Burl, and Miguel Cummins—had decided not to play due to unpaid wages. Despite assurances from the team management and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that payments would be settled, the foreign players refused to budge.

Taskin explained, "Around two hours before heading to the stadium, we learned that the foreign players weren't coming. The board also reached out to them, assuring that payment was not an issue and would be cleared, but they didn't change their decision."

With no foreign players willing to participate, Rajshahi faced a potential breach of BPL rules, which mandate at least two overseas players in the playing XI. However, upon Rajshahi's appeal, the BCB made a special exception, allowing the team to field an all-local XI.

The Rajshahi team bus, notably without any foreign players, arrived at Mirpur Stadium at 4:50 PM, just before the match. Despite these distractions, the team managed to take the field and secure a hard-fought 2-run victory against Rangpur Riders.

The reasons behind the hotel switch remain unclear to the players. After the match, Rajshahi's management shared a statement on their WhatsApp group, explaining that the team was moved to Sheraton upon a special request from Durbar Rajshahi's owner, Shafiq Rahman.

The wage crisis and logistical issues highlight ongoing organisational shortcomings in the BPL, overshadowing the on-field performances. While Rajshahi managed to secure a win, these incidents have sparked fresh debates about player treatment and the professionalism of tournament operations.