The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is staging the lucrative T20 tournament from November 21, two years after it was halted in the wake of a match-fixing scandal. PHOTO: BPL T20
DHAKA: Nearly 200 foreign cricketers have expressed interest in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) despite security threats that forced the Australian team to cancel its tour of the country, said officials on Sunday.
Tainted Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Amir and Chris Gayle from the West Indies are among the foreigners, along with 48 from England and four from Australia, stated a BPL official.
“So far 182 foreign players, including 52 from Pakistan and 48 from England, have formally expressed their interest to play this year,” said BPL technical committee member Khaled Mahmud.
“Among the top names are Misbahul Haq, Shahid Afridi and Amir whose ban has been lifted recently, Chris Gayle of the West Indies, Ravi Bopara of England and Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka,” he added.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is staging the lucrative T20 tournament from November 21, two years after it was halted in the wake of a match-fixing scandal.
The BCB, under pressure to bring back international cricket to the country, said it had received a good response to the league despite the security fears.
Australia this month called off its series after official warnings that militants may attack Western interests.
Tensions have since heightened after the murders of an Italian aid worker and a Japanese farmer in the space of five days, in attacks claimed by the Islamic State militant group.
“We have assured adequate security for all the cricketers playing here. So there was no major concern from the foreign players,” said BCB spokesman Jalal Yunus.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2015.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ