The Biggest Scam in Franchise Cricket – All You Need to Know

Prepend to the Content

Franchise cricket has seen many ups and downs, but what happened with Durbar Rajshahi in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is shocking. The team’s official page has disappeared, the management is not responding, and the players are stuck in a hotel, waiting for payments and flight tickets. Even the bus driver is holding onto the players’ kit bags because the team has not cleared a ₹7 lakh bus rent.

Players Stuck Without Payment

Durbar Rajshahi’s overseas players are stranded in Dhaka as the franchise has missed payment deadlines. The team owner and management have stopped responding, leaving players like Mohammad Haris (Pakistan), Aftab Alam (Afghanistan), Mark Deyal (West Indies), Ryan Burl (Zimbabwe), and Miguel Cummins (West Indies) helpless. Some have received only 25% of their payment, while others have got nothing. Their daily allowances have also been pending for 11 days.

The situation got worse after Rajshahi was eliminated from the BPL on Saturday when Khulna Tigers defeated Dhaka Capitals. The players are still in Dhaka, waiting for their return tickets, with no help from the franchise.

Financial Problems from the Start

Durbar Rajshahi’s financial struggles started before the BPL even began. Anamul Haque revealed that local players did not receive their advance payments before the tournament. This led to a training session boycott in Chattogram, while foreign players even refused to play a match at one point. However, Burl and Haris later played, helping Rajshahi stay in the tournament until they were eliminated on net run rate.

The franchise’s problems are not new. Team owner Shafique Rahman earlier faced issues with a hotel in Chattogram for not paying bills on time. Security guards were seen outside his room, and the hotel authorities even seized his car. When the team returned to Dhaka, they were forced to leave another hotel due to non-payment.

Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, a member of BPL’s governing council, admitted that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not properly check the financial strength of the franchise before allowing them to participate.

He said, “We didn’t verify their experience and financial strength. Now, it has put us in a difficult situation.”

Bangladesh’s sports adviser, Asif Mahmud, has warned Rahman about the consequences.

He said, “I spoke to the Rajshahi owner, and he assured us that he will clear the payments. If he fails, we will take legal action. No more discussions.”

With such a massive financial mess, Durbar Rajshahi’s future in franchise cricket looks uncertain.

Read Original Content: The Biggest Scam in Franchise Cricket – All You Need to Know

ProBatsman