How the BPL has been consistently controversial over the years

Since its inception, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has faced one controversy after another.

From the players' drafts and auctions to the determination of team ownership, off-field scandals, match-fixing allegations, unpaid player dues, poor-quality pitches, and substandard TV broadcasts, the tournament has been riddled with issues. 

In this age of globalisation and cricket's rise as a commercial giant, why has a franchise league that has existed for over a decade reached this sorry state? Has BPL failed to build any significant brand value? What exactly is the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) doing?

With each passing year, BPL seems to lose more of its initial charm. What was once a glamorous franchise-based tournament has long since faded, and the BCB still lacks a clear, cohesive business model. In comparison to other successful franchise leagues around the world, which work with a central revenue pool system and share profits with team owners, BPL's model seems inefficient. The tournament is riddled with financial troubles, leaving franchise owners dissatisfied with the returns on their investments. While the 2025 edition of BPL started with a great deal of hype, it's now mired in controversies that have raised questions about the integrity and future of the tournament.

Despite the BCB's attempts to add some freshness by introducing elements like concerts, mascots, a theme song, and changes to the batting wickets, the core issues continue to plague the tournament. Perhaps the most concerning of these is the growing suspicion of match-fixing. Reports of no-balls, wide deliveries, and suspicious player selections have led to an investigation. Over 40 domestic and foreign players are now under surveillance, and even franchise owners are voicing their concerns. This is hardly a reassuring sign for a league that desperately needs credibility.

One of the recurring issues has been the players' unpaid dues. The payment debacles have reached a boiling point, with some players refusing to play unless they are paid their rightful share. This is a problem that has persisted from the very first season of BPL and still remains unresolved. The World Cricket Association (WCA) has expressed its dismay over BCB's failure to address these concerns, with CEO Tom Moffat speaking out against the repeated nature of these payment issues. One would expect a solution by now, but clearly, that has not been the case.

Match-fixing scandals are nothing new to BPL. The 2012 season is infamous for one of the most scandalous moments in Bangladesh cricket history. During the second season, Mashrafe Mortaza was suddenly stripped of his captaincy for Dhaka Gladiators and replaced by Mohammad Ashraful just before a game against Chittagong Kings. The timing was odd, and the match itself was suspicious, with strange batting and bowling performances, leading to a full-scale investigation by the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). It was later revealed that Ashraful, along with several other players, had been involved in match-fixing. The fallout from that scandal was huge, and Ashraful was banned for eight years.

Another familiar name, Shakib Al Hasan, found himself at the centre of controversy several times. In the 2022 edition, Shakib, the captain of Fortune Barishal, made headlines for skipping important pre-final events under questionable circumstances. While it was initially reported that he had a medical issue, it soon emerged that Shakib had opted to go off for an advertisement shoot instead. 

This disregard for the rules and norms only raised more eyebrows, and to top it off, he ignored bio-bubble protocols during the pandemic, breaching the established safety measures. Despite this, the BCB did nothing to discipline him, showing once again that accountability is a distant dream in Bangladesh cricket. Though, in the 2015 BPL, Shakib was given a one-match ban for unacceptable behaviour towards the umpire during a match against Sylhet.

The management of the BPL has also been a constant source of frustration. From the lavish spending on concerts and events to ticketing issues, the league's organisation leaves much to be desired. The BCB seems to focus only on the glamour of the event, while ignoring the finer details that truly matter for a professional sporting league. Additionally, the BPL's social media presence is a joke, with its official pages remaining mostly inactive throughout the year. Fans have to rely on individual teams' social media pages to get any real updates.

Another worrying trend is the increasing number of obscure foreign players being recruited by franchises. This year, for example, players like Miguel Cummins, Aftab Alam, Samarakoon and some others were brought in by various teams—players whose careers have barely registered on the international radar. These signings seem more about filling numbers rather than bringing real quality to the league, and it's clear that the BPL is struggling to attract top-tier foreign talent.

Ultimately, the problem with BPL lies in the lack of genuine commitment from the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The league's decline is a direct reflection of the board's inability to manage and nurture it properly. If the BCB doesn't address the deep-rooted issues of financial mismanagement, player payments, corruption, and organisational inefficiency, BPL will never rise to the level of its international counterparts. The 2025 edition, with all its scandals and controversies, should be a wake-up call for the BCB.