Sports Desk:

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official said on Monday that they are eyeing to hold the players’ draft for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the country’s lone franchise-based T20 tournament in the first week of September.

The Daily Sun understand most of the teams already confirmed their participation for the next edition of BPL apart from one team and changes might come into the ownership of the franchises.

Though there was speculation that one team might be added along with the seven existing teams, but BPL officials insisted that is unlikely to be the case as the window is short for the next BPL, scheduled from 1 January to 11 February.

The BCB directors will sit in a board meeting today where several issues will be discussed along with their next course of action to hold the next edition of BPL.

Among other agendas, BCB directors will discuss the performance of the national team in the just concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

“We will discuss the performance of our national team in the T20 World Cup along with other agendas,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.

It is understood that a certain quarter of board directors are eyeing to convince BCB President Nazmul Hasan Papon to replace head coach Chandika Hathurusingha considering his way of action in the tournament includes playing with a negative mindset in the do-or-die match against Afghanistan when they required 115 runs in 12.1 overs to play in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Hathurusingha dropped Taskin Ahmed during the game against India after the pacer missed the team bus due to his sleep and arrived at the ground later.

When contacted Hathurusingha on Monday, he did not want to make any official comment in this regard going by his principles, but the Sri Lankan did not brush aside the allegation altogether as he stated that everyone should focus on performance as he felt whatever happens on tours stays within.

BCB officials also said that they are eyeing to extend the contract of spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed as they were impressed with his performance in the T20 World Cup that marked the rise of young leg spinner Rishad Hossain in the tournament.

BCB appointed Mushtaq as the men’s national team’s spin bowling coach until the end of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA.

The former Pakistani cricketer replaced Rangana Herath in this position after the Sri Lankan left the job ahead of the tournament.