An inexplicable shift of schedule

With no long-term schedule in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, the shifting of match venues and the changes of dates have been common occurrences in the league so far. However, the latest change in the schedule of the competition raised many eyebrows.

As per the normal schedule, there were supposed to be three games played in the 11th round today and it was important to stick to this schedule since most of these teams are battling neck and neck in the rankings table and their possible Super League berths may well be decided in these rounds.

While the Mohammedan-Sheikh Jamal clash in Mirpur and the Legends of Rupganj-Brothers Union tie at Savar will go ahead as planned, the game at Fatullah between Victoria and Gazi Group Cricketers has surprisingly been shifted to the reserve day tomorrow.

When asked for the reason, Amin Khan, the coordinator of the tournament said that the curator at Fatullah informed the tournament committee that the venue was unplayable today due to incessant rainfall.

So far in the tournament, the norm has been to go to the field and see if the teams could play at least a 20-over match. There have been a number of matches in the competition that were spread over two days, but they were completed.

However, the postponement of the game at Fatullah was the first of its kind. The league's committee decided not to wait on the ground at all and decided to move the game to the reserve day.

As a result, there were several questions raised regarding the move. Speaking on condition of anonymity few sources from the board revealed that the game was postponed since Gazi Group Cricketers wanted their foreign player, who would only be able to play tomorrow, to play in their must-win encounter against Victoria.

While the league has been competitive, decisions like the one above have tainted this season. Several players and members of the board have criticised the umpiring, with some even alleging bias. The BCB president during a press conference earlier this week had admitted that the umpiring was a concern and that measures would be taken accordingly in the future.

However, as far as the present is concerned, issues like these are proving to be a thorn in the side of Bangladesh's most celebrated domestic tournament.