The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has finalised the list of local players eligible for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction, excluding those who had previously been flagged in connection with alleged fixing activities. Although the board has not formally released any names, it issued a detailed statement today explaining the rationale behind its decision.
According to the BCB, its president, Aminul Islam, recently received the report of an independent investigation committee formed after the previous BPL season. The responsibility for further scrutiny was then handed over to the BCB’s Integrity Unit, headed by Alex Marshall, a figure with long experience in cricket’s global anti-corruption framework.
The Integrity Unit subsequently advised the BPL Governing Council to take precautionary steps to safeguard the 12th edition of the tournament. Acting on those recommendations, a number of players have not been “invited” to take part in this year’s draft. Speaking to journalists at the BCB offices, Governing Council member secretary Iftikhar Rahman said, “We cannot label anyone guilty without evidence. But when a player is red-flagged, and when we are committed to a stance of zero tolerance, we cannot include them in the auction.”
The statement further clarified that this decision applies only to the BPL. The players concerned remain eligible for other domestic tournaments. Nevertheless, several of the excluded cricketers claim they have been punished without any concrete proof being presented.
Responding to those allegations, Iftikhar said, “The players are correct in saying no evidence has been shown to them. But the investigation was led by a former judge. I do not believe someone of that stature would submit a report without credible grounds. The committee interviewed more than sixty individuals over eight months and produced a report more than 900 pages long.”
He added that the board is not declaring any of the players guilty. Instead, the decision was made on the grounds of risk assessment and the BCB’s jurisdiction over auction eligibility. “No rule says every active cricketer must be placed in the auction. Even among foreign players, more than 500 applied and only 260 were approved. The same selection principle applies here.”
Seven local cricketers from the preliminary list—Enamul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain, Alauddin Babu, Sanjamul Islam, Mizanur Rahman, Nihaduzzaman and Shafiul Islam—have not been included in the final auction pool, although their names were not mentioned in the BCB’s official release. Some are now considering legal action, but Iftikhar insists, “They may pursue legal steps if they wish, but the governing council has full authority over selection. This is entirely our decision.”