BPL 2019: Most teams retain their star players

The players’ draft of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2019 is scheduled on October 25 and September 30 was the last date for the participating sides to submit their players’ retention list. Each of the franchises can retain a maximum of four players. The sixth edition of the BPL will held between January 5 and February 8 next year.

The upcoming edition of the BPL has ‘A+’ category as the reintroduced version of ‘icon cricketers’. The list has seen the addition of Liton Das, the centurion in the final of the recently held Asia Cup, and young fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman besides top cricketers like Mashrafe Mortaza, the national captain; Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal – both of whom have suffered serious injuries and ruled out of the Asia Cup midway; wicket-keeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmuddullah Riyad, according to Bangladesh-based Cricfrenzy.

The sixth edition of the BPL could turn out to be a six-side affair as 2013 runners-up Chittagong Vikings have decided not to take part in the competition in the last minute.

Sylhet Sixers retain three players and not four

Sylhet Sixers decided to retain three players instead of four and they are Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain and Sohail Tanvir. Sabbir was Sixers’ icon cricketer last season but could not earn the elite tag this time since he was banned by Bangladesh Cricket Board for six months owing to repeated off-ground issues.

It was Liton who joined the Sixers as their A+ player. Liton played for Comilla Victorians last year but was not retained this year since they already have an ‘A+’ player in the form of Tamim, their captain. The other three players retained by the Victorians are Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Saifuddin and Shoaib Malik.

Current champions Rangpur Riders retained Chris Gayle, the man of the tournament last year besides Mohammad Mithun, Nazmul Islam and skipper Mashrafe. “We’ve retained Chris Gayle, Apu (Nazmul Islam), Mashrafe, and Mithun. We are releasing Rubel [Hossain] and [Brendon] McCullum. Chris Gayle won us the title [last season]. So we had to keep him. He is a player worth being retained,” Cricfrenzy cited a Rangpur Riders source as saying.

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