BPL aims to satisfy fans in Sylhet phase
The Sylhet phase of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) gets underway today at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium with organisers aiming to make it a bigger success both on and off the field than the opening phase in Dhaka.
The Dhaka phase provided high-scoring matches and quality on-field cricket, however, the off-field fiasco over the ticketing system, with angry fans vandalizing the main gate of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium after not getting tickets, left a sour taste.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. So far, there have been no complaints over tickets in terms of availability and process of procurement ahead of the Sylhet phase. There are sufficient number of tickets available for fans at three designated areas and they can also purchase their tickets online.
"We always have to pay attention towards the quality of cricket… But this time, we are also thinking about our fans and how to satisfy them. We are all but ready. I hope we can satisfy the Sylhet fans," BPL governing council member secretary Nazmul Abedeen Fahim told reporters in Sylhet yesterday.
On the opening day, home side Sylhet Strikers will face table-toppers Rangpur Riders in the first match which will be followed by Durbar Rajshahi taking on Fortune Barishal.
Sylhet lost their opening match against Rangpur on December 31 and arrived in Sylhet the next day to get a head start on their preparation for this phase, in which they will play five games in eight days.
"We had a good preparation in the last couple of days. We will get support from the crowd. Hopefully, the players will deliver and we hope to start winning from this phase," Sylhet's fielding coach Dollar Mahmud said.
Kyle Mayers, Barishal all-rounder, also hoped for a turnaround after the eight-wicket defeat to Rangpur in their previous game.
"It's okay to make mistakes in a tournament, especially at the beginning. As the captain said, we are still trying to find our best combination… We just need to find the balance, try to find the best eleven and play the best cricket that we can."
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