BPL team Durbar Rajshahi players stranded in Dhaka Hotel amid non-payment fiasco

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The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is currently facing significant controversy due to the non-payment of dues to Durbar Rajshahi's overseas players, and as per latest reports, the foreign players are suffering significant issues.

Several foreign players of the team have been left stranded in their Dhaka hotel, awaiting payment and tickets to return home.

The affected players include Mohammad Haris (Pakistan), Aftab Alam (Afghanistan), Mark Deyal (West Indies), Ryan Burl (Zimbabwe), and Miguel Cummins (West Indies).

While the franchise has settled 25% of the dues for a couple of players, the remaining players have not received any payments. Additionally, reports indicate that the players have not received their daily allowances for the past 11 days. Efforts to contact the team owners have been unsuccessful, leaving the players in a state of uncertainty.

This non-payment issue has led to significant disruptions within the league. Earlier in the season, local players boycotted a practice session in Chattogram due to unpaid salaries. Subsequently, the team was compelled to field an XI comprising only local players in a match against Rangpur Riders, as the overseas players opted to sit out in protest over the payment disputes.

Reflecting on the situation, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, member-secretary of the BPL's governing council, stated, "I think we didn't judge the franchises properly. I think we didn't verify their experience and financial strength. It has now put us in a difficult situation."

The situation has garnered international attention, with Tom Moffat, chief executive officer of the World Cricketers' Association (WCA), criticizing the BPL for being a 'repeat offender' in such matters and expressing his disappointment at the ordeal.

The BPL's governing council has acknowledged the oversight in franchise evaluation and is currently investigating the matter to prevent future occurrences. But it is quite appalling how the foreign players are being treated by the franchise, which has shown its inability to bear the expenses of the team.