Bangladesh Premier League Embroiled in Controversy Over Foreign Players Rule

The organisers of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) were involved in a controversy that descended into a complete farce on the second day of the Twenty20 cricket tournament. (Mohammad Amir, Bangladesh Premier League Eye Road to Redemption)

The match between Sylhet Superstars and Chittagong Vikings on Monday saw a delayed start of over an hour behind schedule due to an impasse over playing foreign players as Sylhet fielded Ravi Bopara and Josh Cobb of England after the toss. (Mashrafe Mortaza To Play in Bangladesh Premier League Despite Injury)

Sylhet did not have No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for Bopara and Cobb and waited for their national board's go-ahead to play and that's why they delayed the toss. They didn't get the NOCs till the delayed toss as well but nevertheless included them later. (Bangladesh Premier League Comes Back After One-Year Break)

When the first ball was about to be bowled, Chittagong saw the two Englishmen fielding for Sylhet. Chittagong refused to play since Bopara and Cobb were not included in Sylhet's playing eleven list provided at the toss.

BPL technical committee chief Jalal Yunus said the Governing Council had been asking for the NOCs for Bopara and Cobb for a week.

Sylhet decided to include them in the playing eleven when the NOCs came from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after a delayed toss.

Then Yunus and Nizam Uddin Chowdhury discussed with the two franchises and Sylhet started play without Bopara and Cobb.

They had only Sri Lankans Ajantha Mendis and Dilshan Munaweera as foreign players.

BPL Governing Council member secretary Ismail Haider Mollick had said the decision aimed at improving standards of the game.