Repeated payment failures in BPL draw sharp criticism from World Cricketers' Association

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is once again under scrutiny for failing to pay players on time, with the issue proving to be a recurring theme in the tournament's history.

This year's edition of the BPL has witnessed a new wave of criticism, particularly following the refusal of international players to take the field due to unpaid dues, leading to a formal response from the World Cricketers' Association (WCA).

Tom Moffat, the CEO of the WCA, has strongly condemned the ongoing issue, calling it "disappointing" and "unacceptable."

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Moffat stated, "It's disappointing to hear about more non-payment issues in the Bangladesh Premier League, which has been a repeat offender over a number of years. These issues are unacceptable, they aren't getting better, and it's the players who make the event that are impacted." He further added, "In any league that is officially sanctioned, players should have confidence that their contracts have some basic protections and minimum standards in them, and that they can be enforced efficiently."

The most recent controversy began when the Durbar Rajshahi franchise failed to pay its local players for the first two weeks of the tournament. This led to a training boycott by the players, and the situation escalated further when the foreign players also chose to withhold their participation in matches. Rajshahi's captain, Taskin Ahmed, humorously remarked after the match that he hoped the cheques issued to the Bangladeshi players wouldn't "bounce like the pitch." This episode underscores the ongoing financial instability troubling the tournament.

Moffat emphasized the need for urgent reform in the way payment issues are handled. He remarked, "The game is not currently capable of solving transnational issues like this at the moment, and that needs to change if it wants to continue to claim to be a leading global sport in 2025."

The BPL's struggles with player payments date back to its early seasons. In 2012 and 2013, the first two editions of the tournament were also marred by similar non-payment issues, with many players left unpaid by the franchises. At the time, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was forced to suspend the tournament for a season due to widespread corruption scandals.

This year, the Rajshahi franchise also faced issues with hotel bookings in Chattogram, with the owner Shafique Rahman facing trouble over unpaid hotel bills. Despite intervention from BCB President Faruk Ahmed, local players such as Taskin Ahmed and Anamul Haque Bijoy were only partially paid – 25% in cash and 25% in cheques. Rajshahi's foreign players, including Ryan Burl and Aftab Alam, finally appeared for their match against Sylhet Strikers on 27 January, but it remains unclear whether they have been fully compensated.

This recurring payment issue continues to raise serious concerns about the credibility of the BPL, with Moffat urging the BCB to implement reforms that ensure players' rights are protected and upheld.

"It's time to address these fundamental issues if the tournament is to retain its status and credibility," he concluded.