When there is silence over the management of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ahead of its ninth season kick-off on Friday in Dhaka, Shakib Al Hasan has slammed the governing authority, saying he could have solved all the issues if he were the CEO of BPL.
A total of seven teams will be competing in this year’s BPL. Each team is allowed to field a maximum of four foreign players per match.
However, teams are uncertain about their ability to do so, as most foreign players are not arriving before the tournament commences, with some joining after a few matches, some leaving after a few games, and some returning in between.
Shakib said this “mess” is happening because of poor and inefficient management.
“If I am given the CEO role, I am confident I can make changes. I anticipate that it will take a maximum of one to two months to implement the necessary changes to fix everything,” Shakib responded when asked what he would have done if he was the CEO.
Gulf Oil Bangladesh made Shakib Al Hasan their one-day CEO on Wednesday, and he has been the brand ambassador of the company since 2019. He talked to the media on Wednesday.
“A do-it-yourself situation,” Shakib hinted at the management of BPL, adding, “This makes our Dhaka Premier League (DPL) better than BPL, as the teams in DPL can prepare themselves a few months before the league.”
The BCB is failing to implement DRS technology from the beginning of BPL. However, the board has stated that DRS will be available for the play-off phase of the tournament.
As of January 4, it remains uncertain who will be broadcasting the most prestigious cricket event in Bangladesh, and what revenue the BCB will be able to generate from the broadcast rights.
Shakib believes that BCB has failed to adequately market the BPL, which he considers to be a major shortcoming of the board.
“When a player performs well in the Big Bash, PSL, or CPL, they are rewarded with a chance to join the national team. However, the BPL has not gained the same level of attention, which is disheartening,” Shakib said.