BPL still behind in players' payments

 

Bangladesh's players' body has claimed that local players from only two out of seven BPL franchises have been paid 50% of their fees for the 2013 tournament. All players taking part in the domestic Twenty20 competition were supposed to be paid half their pay by February 19, but the Cricketers Welfare Association (CWAB) conducted a survey that says many have remained unpaid.

CWAB had released a list with updates on the local cricketers' payments, although there were many who didn't respond or reveal their actual fees, despite the players' payment being decided at the auction.

There have been claims made to CWAB by various players over unfulfilled payments. CWAB is the only organised pressure group on the BCB, and it is led by former Bangladesh captain Naimur Rahman, who is also an adhoc committee member of the cricket board. The BCB have taken responsibility for the players' payments this season after the franchises failed to make payments on time following the first BPL governing council secretary Ismail Haider Mallick said that the CWAB list included many players who have taken money from their respective franchises directly, which is a clear infringement of contract rules. He also said there are many disputed payments due over the excesses that have to be shared between them, the players, and the event management company, Game On Sports. The CWAB retorted by saying that the board did not take any decisions on the players who took direct payments.

Seven players from Duronto Rajshahi, and eight from Khulna Royal Bengals, have been given 50% of their pay, but other franchises have made haphazard payments. CWAB general secretary Debabrata Paul said that a number of players have not been paid their daily allowances but the BCB had not taken any steps to address that since being handed the list two weeks ago."CWAB is disappointed about the players' payment of BPL," a statement from the association said. "CWAB submitted a survey paper to BCB officials, but we did not find any improvement. We are hopeful and confident that the BCB will solve the players' payment within a very short time, according to the contract paper."