The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has approved major increases in domestic match fees across men’s and women’s cricket, turning its response to the cancellation of this season’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) into a broader effort to strengthen players’ earnings throughout the domestic calendar.
Under the new structure, men’s first-class players will receive Tk 1.5 lakh (approx. US$1,200) per match, while the List A fee will double from Tk 50,000 (approx. US$400) to Tk 1 lakh (approx. US$800) and the domestic T20 payment will rise from Tk 40,000 (approx. US$320) to Tk 80,000 (approx. US$640). The changes significantly expand the financial support available through BCB competitions at a time when players face a season without income from the country’s principal franchise T20 league.
BCB turns BPL income gap into longer-term pay plan
The increases follow discussions between the board and players over how to address the financial consequences of the BPL not being staged this season. As previously reported by cricexec, representatives of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) backed an approach designed to improve earnings for the wider domestic playing pool rather than pursuing only short-term compensation for those missing out on BPL contracts.
That distinction was significant because the BPL typically provides opportunities to a smaller group than the overall domestic system. Bangladesh Cricket Board President Tamim Iqbal told reporters after a BCB working committee meeting at the board headquarters in Mirpur: “So, what we have all decided together is that, overall, in the BPL, you will see 50, 60, 65, 70 local cricketers play. But if you think about Bangladesh cricket, in first-class, List A, T20, there are plus or minus 150 to 200 cricketers involved.”
The talks that preceded the announcement included senior cricketers and CWAB officials, with Iqbal consulting player representatives before the revised structure was finalised. Rather than limiting the board’s response to the current season, the resulting model embeds higher payments into the domestic system. Iqbal said: “But I never wanted a one-year solution for the players. I wanted there to be a solution, my board wanted there to be a solution that would benefit them year after year after year.”
Full domestic season could deliver major earnings increase
The first-class increase builds on an earlier rise introduced after Iqbal took charge of the BCB ad-hoc committee, when the payment was lifted to Tk 1 lakh (approx. US$800). Players will now receive Tk 1.5 lakh (approx. US$1,200), while the new List A and T20 rates represent increases of 100%.
Iqbal expects the combined effect of match fees and salaries to give players who participate throughout the domestic season substantially greater annual earning potential. He explained: “Everything has increased by 100% or more. And what is the benefit of doing this? That is the question. Now, if a domestic cricketer plays the full season, including his salary, if my calculation is not wrong, plus or minus, they will earn Tk 35 lakh to Tk 40 lakh annually. If you divide that by 12, a player will have an income of more than Tk 3 lakh per month.”
The move represents the next stage of a process that began after players raised concerns about relying heavily on the BPL and Dhaka Premier League for their livelihoods. The discussions outlined in cricexec’s previous reporting focused on creating a domestic structure capable of supporting a much larger group of players across the year.
Women’s domestic match fees also double
The financial changes extend to women’s domestic cricket, where match fees across the three formats will double.
Players in women’s four-day matches will receive Tk 40,000 (approx. US$320), compared with the previous Tk 20,000 (approx. US$160). One-day payments will increase from Tk 15,000 (approx. US$120) to Tk 30,000 (approx. US$240), while T20 fees will rise from Tk 10,000 (approx. US$80) to Tk 20,000 (approx. US$160).
The BCB is also planning to move women’s longer-format domestic cricket from three-day to four-day matches, adding a structural change alongside the increased payments.
Higher payments come with tougher player standards
The BCB is linking its increased financial commitment to stronger expectations around player standards, particularly in first-class cricket. With substantially more money being directed towards domestic cricketers, Iqbal indicated that the board expects greater accountability in return.
He said: “We will fully fulfil the demands that came from the players’ side, but they also have to fulfil the demands from our side. There will be no sacrifice when it comes to professionalism in first-class cricket, which is something that is discussed a lot sometimes among us.”
Fitness testing will be one area where the board intends to apply those standards more firmly. Iqbal added: “When someone fails to pass the fitness test, there will be no requests or anything like that listened to. When the board is providing everything and giving all financial support, the professionalism from the players’ side will now also be monitored very strongly.”
The approach forms part of the BCB leadership’s stated emphasis on improving conditions for cricketers while expecting players to meet the board’s requirements. Iqbal has also indicated that the administration wants to strengthen its relationship with the playing group following difficulties between players and the board in the past.
Addressing the broader philosophy behind that relationship, Iqbal stated: “First of all, this cricket board has tremendous respect for the players. Secondly, the mentality of this board is that we know we are here to serve the cricketers. We want to work with that mindset so that Bangladesh cricket progresses properly, the game continues to develop, and the facilities for cricketers improve.”
BCB plans wider domestic competition overhaul
The match-fee increases come as the BCB prepares further changes to the domestic structure. The traditional eight-team National Cricket League (NCL) four-day championship is set to remain in its divisional format, alongside a three-day NCL Second XI competition.
According to Cricbuzz, the board is also seeking to move away from fully funding the NCL T20 and the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) four-day and one-day competitions itself. Its proposed approach would bring those three competitions together as a single commercial package featuring six privately owned teams, with approximately 60 days earmarked for the combined schedule.
The BCB is expected to formally announce its new domestic competition structure later in September. The next phase of its plans will therefore extend beyond the newly approved player payments to the organisation and commercial structure of several of Bangladesh’s domestic competitions.
