Extreme weather conditions see BCL deferred

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is likely to scrap its plan of holding this season's Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) from next month and defer it till next September, keeping in mind the extreme weather conditions.

The four-day league was expected to start from June 15 after it was deferred for one month from its original scheduled start in May due to a few series of Bangladesh 'A' team and the Emerging Team.

However, as there is a heat alert and also a high chance of rain and thunderstorms in the coming month, the BCB is now planning to organise BCL at the start of the next domestic calendar year in September.

"The series was initially scheduled to be held in May. But it couldn't take place as few foreign teams have come here to play a few series. So, we were forced to defer the series. We later planned to start the league on June 15," BCB's tournament committee chairman Akram Khan told The Daily Star yesterday.

"But, as there is a warning of a heat wave, we are now thinking of holding the league at the start of the new season," he said, adding that the league would still be considered as a tournament of the ongoing 2024-25 season even if it is held next season.

Meanwhile, the BCB is facing difficulties in attracting sponsors for all four teams in the BCL, the country's only franchise-based four-day tournament.

In recent years, two of the teams -- East Zone and Central Zone -- were patronised by Islami Bank and Walton, while the other two teams were managed by the BCB.