The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appointed the event management company IMG to organize the upcoming 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). As a result, IMG is now handling all aspects of the tournament’s management.
In the previous edition of the BPL, allegations of spot-fixing surfaced. Following those allegations, the BCB launched an investigation. In August, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul received the preliminary investigation report, and recently, the board obtained the final report.
The independent investigation committee’s final report is 900 pages long. Along with reviewing corruption-related matters, the report also raised concerns about the league’s operational aspects. To address these issues, the committee has proposed a detailed reform roadmap.
The new season of the BPL is scheduled to begin early next year. BCB Vice President Shakawat Hossain has stated that the board intends to punish those involved in fixing before the players’ draft.
He said, “We have handed over the 900-page final report to Alex Marshall. He will review everything and frame charges based on the offenses. Then he will give us his recommendations. Based on those charges, we will decide who can and cannot play. We want to receive this before the draft, so there is a timeline.”
Shakawat Hossain also revealed that, apart from cricketers, some journalists and members of team management were also implicated in the fixing scandal.
He said, “If we receive the names (of those involved in fixing) before the draft, their names will not be included. Remember, it’s not just players—journalists and management members are also involved.”
Speaking to the media, he added, “We discussed the auction (draft) today. In the next BPL meeting, we will discuss it further. We still have time. The players’ draft will be held after the 15th. We have taken note of everything today, and after further discussion, we will take the decision that’s best for the league.”
