Bangladesh Cricket Board Announces New Tournament [Source: AFP]Amid uncertainty around BPL’s future, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have announced a new domestic tournament covering all formats. This tournament will be played between as many as six teams.Since the appointment of new president Tamim Iqbal, BCB’s focus on strengthening the domestic ecosystem has increased significantly. This is to ensure the new crop of players gets the right platform to groom themselves for the big stage.BCB to introduce franchise league format in domestic cricketMeanwhile, in yet another attempt to revive Bangladesh’s domestic cricket culture, the BCB will reportedly conduct a 6-team domestic competition covering First-Class, List A and T20 cricket.According to Cricbuzz, instead of running these competitions as completely separate entities, the BCB intends to bring them under one competition framework.The six teams, which have already been secured by leading corporate houses, will be offered the opportunity to establish their institutions in Bangladesh, initially for three years. The BCB also said that the T20 competition will be the first event under the new structure, with December 2026 being the tentative window.The move is a drastic shift towards a franchise-style model for Bangladesh's domestic cricket, but unlike the BPL, the proposed competition will not be limited to T20 cricket. Also Read - Bangladesh Government, BCB At Loggerheads Over BPL FutureBCB takes action amid BPL uncertaintyInterestingly, BCB’s move comes after president Tamim Iqbal hinted at suspending BPL for the near future. In a press conference, he said that BPL will not be held for a few years in the aftermath of corruption and fixing scandals.The former cricketer also added that the league is facing severe financial losses and needs a complete structural overhaul. Hence, until transparency and integrity are restored, BPL is unlikely to be held in 2026 and for many more years to come.Naturally, to replace BPL, the BCB has decided to merge domestic cricket formats and introduce a different tournament for youngsters so that their preparation is not hampered. Bangladesh domestic cricketers’ salaries hikedIn yet another move to boost domestic cricket, the BCB have approved a salary hike for Bangladesh’s domestic players. According to the new structure, First Class players will get Tk 1.5 lakh while List A participants will receive Tk 1 Lakh.For T20 players, the BCB have approved a salary cap of Tk 80,000. And for women cricketers, a Tk 40,000 limit has been set for First Class players, Tk 30,000 for List A and Tk 20,000 for T20 format players.The BCB has also doubled the daily allowance for its Under-19 players from Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000. Needless to say, the Bangladesh Cricket Board is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the domestic structure is sustainable and strong to attract more and more young talents, who will eventually become the future of Bangladesh cricket.Also Read - Kensington Oval Pitch Report, Barbados Weather Report For CPL 2026 Final
