BCB eyes Indian participation in inaugural Women's BPL

A Bangladesh Cricket Board official said on Wednesday that the board is ready to welcome Indian women cricketers for the inaugural edition of the Women's Bangladesh Premier League, scheduled to be held from April 4 to April 14.

The BCB, which had previously failed to launch the tournament despite multiple promises, earlier announced it would finally stage the competition this season with three teams.

On Wednesday, BCB officially set the ball rolling for the first-ever WBPL after holding its first coordination meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Rubaba Dowla, chairperson of the BCB Women's Wing and the WBPL Governing Council, told reporters they would be more than happy to have Indian women cricketers take part.

While Indian men's national team players do not feature in overseas leagues apart from the IPL, the same does not apply to women cricketers, who also participate in competitions like the Big Bash and The Hundred.

Rubaba's announcement suggests the BCB is keen to mend its relationship with the BCCI, which is believed to have deteriorated after Bangladesh opted out of the ongoing T20 World Cup citing security concerns.

"Several international players have already shown interest," Rubaba said following the coordination meeting. "The teams will then contact the players and finalize recruitment. There are some well-known star players who have expressed interest."

When asked specifically about Indian players, Rubaba did not rule out the possibility. "We are open to all," she stated. "There is no country-specific restriction. Whoever shows interest, and whichever teams want to bring such players, they can do so. It is open to all, so we will see."

She added that all arrangements for the Women's BPL are currently underway, with regular meetings being held by the Governing Council and working committee.

The WBPL chairperson said the tournament is likely to begin in Chattogram and conclude in Dhaka. She confirmed the BCB will follow the widely used IPL model regarding the limit on overseas players in the playing XI and that the WBPL will adopt a draft system instead of an auction for player selection.

"The draft process will be followed for player selection, and we will organize a proper event for it. Each team must have a minimum of two overseas players, and possibly three to four," she said.

It is understood that five categories have been created for local cricketers:

• Icon players: BDT 10 lakh
• 'A' category: BDT 7 lakh
• 'B' category: BDT 5 lakh
• 'C' category: BDT 3 lakh
• 'D' category: BDT 1.5 lakh