First Division lost among BPL's glamour

With all the glamour surrounding the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) seems to have forgotten about the First Division cricket league as the clubs are still in the dark regarding its start for the 2017-18 season.

The leagues -- also including the second and third division cricket leagues -- are the bread and butter for cricketers across the country and they have already missed the scheduled starting time this season.

"Previously the first round of the First Division league was normally completed by November. But this season there has been no meeting so far regarding the league. We have no idea when the league is going to start this season. We are also not sure whether the board is interested to hold the league," said Syed Ali Asaf, joint secretary of Dhaka First Division club Young Pegasus.

Normally the players' transfer for the First Division league takes place by August and the tournament starts from late October or early November. The previous season of the First Division league ended in January this year.

"We are yet to know the dates of players' transfer. The grounds have been free for the past one or two months and the league could have easily taken place. But unfortunately that did not happen," said Ziaur Rahman, the organising secretary of Partex Sporting Club.

When contacted, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told The Daily Star that they would take a decision regarding the leagues next week but did not elaborate further.

After its elections last month, the BCB is yet to form its standing committees -- including the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, which looks after the Dhaka leagues.

"The board meeting will take place in December and the standing committee will be formed at the first meeting," said BCB director Jalal Yunus.