The controversy-ridden ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) reached a new low yesterday after Durbar Rajshahi failed to field any foreign players – an unforeseen occurrence in the tournament history – for their match against Rangpur Riders in Mirpur.

The Rajshahi team arrived at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium yesterday at around 05:00 pm, about 90 minutes before the start of the match, without any of their foreign players.

Their absence casted serious doubts on whether the match would go ahead as according to the tournament bylaws, a franchise must include a minimum of two overseas players in its playing XI.

During the toss, Rajshahi skipper Taskin Ahmed revealed that they are fielding a team of only local players due to the non-availability of their foreign recruits.

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Later, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) through a press release confirmed that the BPL Technical Committee upon a request from Rajshahi has granted a special permission to the franchise to field 11 local players against Rangpur.

"After a review of the request [from Durbar Rajshahi] and in accordance with the provisions outlined in Clause 1.2.8 of the Match Playing Conditions of BPL 2024-25, the Technical Committee has granted approval for Durbar Rajshahi to field a team consisting of only Bangladeshi players for this match," the press release said.

The provisions outlined in clause 1.2.8 gives the Technical Committee the authority to take the final decision if a team is unable to field at least two foreign players for any 'valid reason'.

In that case, the integrity of the technical committee can be put into question as the reason Rajshahi could not comply with the rule is because their foreign players, in protest of their non-payment, chose not to come to the field.

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The Daily Star reached out to one of Rajshahi's foreign cricketers, who was part of the boycott, and he said that till yesterday the foreign players have received only 25 percent of their payment and one of them is yet to receive a single penny.

Earlier in the morning, it was also reported that the same franchise had to change their team hotel in Dhaka due to payment related issues and rumours began floating around that the entire team might boycott the match because of the non-payment issue.

Just a few hours before the match, Rajshahi batter Anamul Haque Bijoy posted a photo with fellow local players of the franchise, all holding envelopes, suggesting they have agreed to play the contest.

However, the overseas cricketers were absent in that picture and later refused to travel to the ground as well.

Meanwhile, the hotel management later issued a press release where they stated that the shift was made to one of their other properties at the special request of the team owner Md. Shafiq Rahman.

Yesterday's episode is another addition to the non-payment debacle of the ongoing BPL that has tainted the image of the tournament and Rajshahi, one of the two new franchises in this edition, has repeatedly found itself at the centre of the issue.

However, whether Rajshahi reappears in the next editions or disappears from BPL like many others, it has already preserved a place in BPL history, even though in an ignominious manner.