Bangladesh cricket team head coach Chandika Hathurusingha said that the country does not have a proper T20 tournament and launched a fiery rant on Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The T20 tournament is currently underway but in a recent interview with ESPNCricinfo, Hathurusingha said that he sometimes turns off the TV while watching the matches and even went on to point out that some players in the competition are not of the "required class". He added that the International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to step in and stop the 'circus' - a word he used to describe the BPL.
“We [Bangladesh] don't have a proper T20 tournament. This sounds very odd. When I am watching the BPL, I sometimes turn off the TV. Some players are not even of the [required] class. I have a big issue with the current system,” Hathurusingha said.
“The ICC need to step in. There has to be some regulations. A player is playing one tournament and then he is playing another tournament. It is like a circus. Players will talk about opportunities, but that's not right. People will lose interest. I have lost interest,” Hathurusingha added.
Hathurusingha also pointed out that Bangladesh cricketers are not getting enough practice in key sectors like batting in the Top 3 and bowling death overs. He suggested that there should be another tournament ahead of the BPL to help in the development of local cricketers.
“We need to have a tournament where our players can do things like batting in the top three. Bangladesh bowlers bowling in the death. Where will we learn these things otherwise? We have only one tournament,” said Hathurusingha.
“My suggestion is that we have another tournament before the BPL. The franchises do what they want. Some of the best players are not playing. Then how do you expect the Bangladesh team to be up with the other teams? I am fighting a steep battle,” Hathurusingha added.