The Bangladesh Premier League faces a growing challenge in attracting overseas cricketers unless it can strengthen confidence in the tournament’s operating environment, according to Lisa Sthalekar, President, World Cricketers’ Association, speaking to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Her comments follow a recent WCA assessment that ranked the BPL last among 10 major T20 leagues, raising fresh questions about how the competition can improve its standing in an increasingly crowded global franchise market.
The rankings placed The Hundred first with 75.2 points, followed by SA20 on 68, while the IPL ranked third with 62.6. The BPL received 22.6 points, reflecting concerns that have repeatedly surfaced around the tournament in recent years and highlighting the work required to make the league a more attractive proposition for players weighing opportunities across multiple competitions.
Rankings reflect wider concerns
Explaining the purpose of the assessment, Sthalekar said: “What the World Cricketers’ Association does, and we have it on our website, is almost a traffic-light system of all the T20 leagues around the world. It’s to help players, administrators and agents understand what the issues have been and what the successful aspects of each T20 league are.”
The framework was developed using measures identified by players, agents and players’ associations, with the aim of providing greater transparency around the strengths and weaknesses of major domestic competitions. For the BPL, the results reinforced concerns that extend beyond on-field cricket and into the broader player experience.
Reflecting on Bangladesh’s position in the rankings, she noted: “Obviously, if you look at the BPL, its traffic light doesn’t have a lot of green, unfortunately.”
Competition for overseas players is intensifying
The challenge for the BPL comes at a time when franchise leagues around the world are competing aggressively for overseas talent. With players increasingly able to choose between multiple tournaments, factors such as administration, contractual certainty and overall player experience have become increasingly important.
Sthalekar believes Bangladesh has the resources to improve its position but said progress will require cooperation between key stakeholders within the game.
“This is an opportunity for them as a new organisation and executive committee to work with the Bangladesh Cricket Board to ensure that overseas players want to come here and play, and that they can potentially move into the amber and green categories,” she said.
Bangladesh’s recent international performances, established venues and cricket culture provide a platform on which the competition can build if structural concerns are addressed.
“And for it to be a tournament that people want to travel to and be part of because you’ve got some wonderful facilities and some wonderful cricketers. Obviously, that’s shown by how Bangladesh have been able to perform in recent times. So hopefully, the two organisations can work together and ensure that the BPL is as strong and prosperous as it can be,” she added.
Player trust remains a critical issue
Among the issues that have affected the BPL’s reputation, payment disputes have remained one of the most persistent concerns. Several franchises have faced criticism over delayed or unpaid salaries, creating uncertainty for both local and overseas players.
Addressing the issue, Sthalekar said: “For professional cricketers, this is their job. It’s the same for journalists – you expect to be paid for your work I think for professional cricketers, it’s their job. All of you have jobs. You do your job, and you expect to be paid. I don’t think it makes a difference. A professional cricketer, if they’ve gone out and played cricket and done their job, should be paid for it. And if the system and structure have put frameworks and contracts in place, then they should be honoured. But that’s all domestic cricket, and that’s up to the players’ association here on the ground to work through.”
The former Australia international indicated that confidence in contracts and payment systems remains a fundamental requirement for any league seeking to strengthen its appeal among professional players.
CWAB seen as part of the solution
While highlighting the challenges facing the tournament, Sthalekar also pointed to the potential role of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh in helping drive improvements. She stressed that domestic player matters are primarily the responsibility of national player bodies working within their own cricket systems.
Explaining where the WCA fits into that process, she stated: “What the World Cricketers’ Association tends to do is assist and help when we go into ICC events. We tend to operate at that next level. Our dealings are with the ICC; they’re not necessarily with the Bangladesh Cricket Board or Cricket Australia. That’s for the individual players’ association in each country. However, Mithun will be coming to London, where we have a board meeting. It’ll be exciting for him to be part of it, and no doubt he’ll learn a lot more about players’ associations and the programmes we run across the world.”
Sthalekar also expressed encouragement after meeting members of the new CWAB leadership during her visit to Bangladesh.
“It’s been great to actually be here in Bangladesh and catch up with Mithun and a number of the other committee members the other night. We had an hour-long conversation at our hotel, and it was wonderful to get an understanding of what the new administration has been doing. Obviously, there have been some challenging times for them, and they’ve probably faced a fair bit of criticism, but at the end of the day, they’re here representing all professional cricketers in Bangladesh, and I think they’ve been doing a wonderful job,” she remarked.
Looking ahead, Sthalekar added: “These are new administrators who are learning about a players’ association, what it can do, and how they can be the voice of professional cricketers in Bangladesh.”
Her comments point to a broader challenge facing the BPL. Improving league standards is not only about raising the tournament’s ranking but also about creating an environment that players trust, helping Bangladesh’s flagship T20 competition compete more effectively in an increasingly competitive global market.
