BCB hopes NCL T20 will continue

The logo unveiling ceremony of the NCL T20 2024 tournament took place amidst much glitter at a hotel in the capital yesterday, with BCB president Faruque Ahmed hoping that the tournament will continue every season along with the red-ball format.

During the programme, it was also announced that the eight-team tournament, set to begin on December 11 and conclude on December 24, has gained 'List A' status from the International Cricket Council.

"In first-class cricket, the national league is the backbone of our cricket. So from this year onwards, we will be putting effort to hold the T20 tournament alongside the National Cricket League," Faruque said during the event.

The need for a separate T20 tournament alongside the BPL had been felt by the country's cricketers and organisers in recent times, and last year the selectors and cricket operations had sat together to chalk out the scheduling for the newest local T20 tournament.

Since the tournament is only for local players, unlike the BPL, Faruque hoped that it will create more opportunities for local stars to showcase their talent.

"We have at least 20 guys outside the country [in West Indies] playing Tests, ODIs and T20Is. These 20 players would have featured in the teams and now at least two to three local players would get opportunities to play in each team this time around," Faruque hoped.