BCB Invites Indian Players For Inaugural Women’s Bangladesh Premier League

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed it was ready to welcome Indian women cricketers for the first Women’s Bangladesh Premier League in April.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday said it is ready to welcome Indian women cricketers for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL), scheduled from April 4 to April 14.

The BCB had earlier promised to launch the tournament several times but failed to do so. This season, however, the board confirmed that it will stage the competition with three teams. On Wednesday, officials formally began preparations after holding the first coordination meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

Rubaba Dowla, chairperson of the BCB Women’s Wing and the WBPL Governing Council, addressed reporters after the meeting and said the board would be happy to have Indian players in the tournament.

While Indian men’s national team players do not participate in overseas leagues apart from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Indian women cricketers regularly feature in tournaments like Australia’s Big Bash League and England’s The Hundred.

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Rubaba’s remarks also indicate that the BCB is keen to improve its relationship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which reportedly became strained after Bangladesh opted out of the ongoing T20 World Cup, citing security concerns.

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

When asked specifically about Indian players, Rubaba did not rule out their participation. “We are open to all,” she said about Indian players taking part in the tournament.

“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.

“All arrangements for the Women’s BPL are currently underway. We are holding regular meetings. The Governing Council and the working committee are planning together how to execute the tournament in the best possible way,” she added.

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